


Le magichien

by schnaf



Category: Football RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-21 23:23:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 44
Words: 28,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7409278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schnaf/pseuds/schnaf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Technically, Olivier is an ideal man: Handsome, funny, his flaws make him even more likeable. But then, Antoine finds a flaw that's far worse than the fact that he can only memorize one single joke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue ... where a mistake is made

**Author's Note:**

> I had a connection to France for several years now. But during the World Cup 2014, it intensified. And who is to blame? Right. Grizi and Oli. I HAD to write about them, I did – in German, back then. Now, somebody asked me if I could translate this story. And well... I will try. \o/

**Word Count:**  33 209 (English version may vary)  
**Rating:**  P18 Slash  
**Warnings:**  rather short chapters  
**Genre:**  romance  
**Note #2:** The only joke Olivier can memorize is also the story's title. This is the original version:  
Comment appel t-on un chien magique? Un magichien.  
And nooow, translation is getting difficult. :D I think you can compare it with jokes like “Where do cats go when they die? - Purrgatory.”. You can't really translate it word by word.  
“How do you call a magical dog? A magidog” (Magicien = magician, chien = dog).  
Also, it's the only French joke I know :D

I prepared a [masterpost](http://schnaf.tumblr.com/post/96280159169/masterpost-le-magichien) for this story. It includes:  
\- a timetable  
\- pictures of Olivier and Antoine  
\- pictures of all the players who appear in the story  
\- gifs and similar from story scenes

Okay, there is only one thing left to say: Have fun with Olivier and Antoine!

~*~*~

**Prologue  
… where a mistake is made**

Olivier leans at the sink, he avoids consequently watching himself in the mirror. He doesn't do that normally – he is content with his reflection, he knows that he looks good. After all, he does a lot for it. But today, right now, he just can't look at himself.

It wasn't planned that way. Nowhere near. He hoped for something completely different. Yeah, if things went as he wished for, he wouldn't stand in the bathroom right now, he wouldn't have the desire to throw up until the void inside him disappears.  
He has to ignore it. Just a few meters away, behind the door, there is Celia.

Celia, his affair. Bravo.

Fuck, he just doesn't know what's wrong. The sex was okay, after all.  
But that's all. It was okay, nothing more. No big emotions, only plain good sex. He could have had that at home, too. Maybe not today – after all, he's at the team hotel right now. Whatever, the sex right now didn't vary a lot from the sex with his wife.  
Olivier expected the opposite. Otherwise, he never ever would have invited Celia to his hotel room. Well, instead of having 'wow' sex, he feels empty and worn out. Great.

However: He has to get back to his room. Back to Celia.  
Brushing all his pride on his body aside, he is really glad he picked up his pants before he disappeared to the bathroom. He couldn't face her naked now. Even though she has seen him naked right before.  
And more.

He inhales deeply. He has to get through this now. The first step after an utterly whacky move.  
It's really easy to head over to the door and open it. It's getting more difficult as he sees Celia on his bed. She dressed up by now, more or less. Her jacket and her vest are lying next to her, but she wears her jeans and her blouse again. You can see her breasts easily – a view that's like a hit in the stomach.  
She lowers her phone as she realizes he is back again. Probably she was on twitter. That's how he picked her up, too. Just writing a bit with her, the rest came along per se. The triumph he felt back then feels like sheer mockery now.

“I suppose I should disappear now?”

Her tone – without stinger, just neutral – calms him down a bit. She doesn't make a scene. She knows what's up. Visits aren't allowed, especially not from women, each minute she stays here is a risk. Also, she is just an affair, nothing more. Good to see that she accepts it just like that.  
It raises his hopes that this is over as soon as she passes the door.

“Yeah, that...”

He yawns again. It's so late, he should finally sleep. After all, there's a game tomorrow.  
Well... Today. Should be around 3 o'clock if he saw it correctly before.

Celia doesn't wait for him to finish his sentence. She rises, puts her phone into her pocket and puts on the other clothes. Jacket, vest, scarf, beanie... Olivier stays, where he is, rested against the door frame, and watches her. What else should he do? Miming the gentleman would be absolutely uncalled for.  
She doesn't expect anything like that, neither. After she checked her clothes again – even in the middle of the night, after a fling, everything is in place -, she nods at him. Then she walks over to the door. No more words. She opens it and leaves the room.

Now, Olivier moves again. He trots over to the bed, tries to keep up his eyes. The bad feeling doesn't keep him away anymore.  
Nevertheless, his last thought before he falls asleep is that this wasn't what he expected, not nearly. This fucked up thing about emotions that's forced down their throat all the time is a farce. There is no love, not more than platonic, like the one he feels toward his family.  
People don't fit together like pieces of puzzle. There is nobody that suits him perfectly, who makes him happy, also in a non-platonic way.  
Feels like shit.

A month later, he meets Antoine for the first time.

~*~*~


	2. First chapter ... where Antoine hears laughter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thank you so much for the click, kudos and the comment! It's awesome to see that you're interested in this story ♥

~*~*~

**First chapter  
… where Antoine hears laughter**

The first thing Antoine hears from Olivier is his laughter.

He just arrived at the team hotel, after a car drive where he kept thinking whether he should stop the driver so he could throw up on the roadside. This is his premiere at the national team – and even more. It's a sign that he is on the radar despite his one year break. It's his chance to finally get started in the national team, too. Besides, he runs the – rather small – chance to go to Brazil with the national team when the game the day after tomorrow goes well.  
And in the car he was rather relaxed. His tension became much worse as he entered the hotel. At least until he heard that laugh.

Olivier's laughter isn't really gorgeous or sexy. It's a “I think it's funny therefore I laugh”-kind-of-laughter, a 'Fuck everything'-laughter. Loud, heartily. Even though Antoine can imagine quite well that this laugh is able to piss people off most of the time, it calms him down in this very moment.  
Somehow it shows him that he can relax – that this is not a bad place.

He sees Olivier shortly after. Together with an employee from the FFF, he enters the lobby. He's still laughing whereas the other man grins a bit tortured.

“Un magichien!”

The laughter, again. Now it's for sure – the laughter belongs to Olivier Giroud, striker at the French national team.  
Either, the employee doesn't know what to do with “un magichien”, just as Antoine – or he just doesn't think it's funny. Whatever, he barely reacts. His smile only gets a bit more forced. But then, he's released. Olivier spots Antoine who is hanging around rather lonely after the first round of handshaking.

A few steps before Olivier stands directly in front of him. And then, they speak for the first time.

“Olivier.”  
“Antoine.”

It's just one of many introductions on this day, Olivier isn't out of the ordinary – at least not more than some other players.  
Little did Antoine know that Olivier will soon be very different from the other players.

~*~*~


	3. Second chapter ... where Antoine gets a roommate

**Second chapter  
… where Antoine gets a roommate**

Silence, finally. Antoine slumps on the bed and closes his eyes for a moment.  
As if it wasn't exciting enough, he already had some obligations to fulfill. Greeting people, introducing himself, acquiring his gear, looking for his room, giving an interview... In his opinion, that's enough for today. He's really glad that there is a training session later – at least that's commonplace.

Nevertheless, it feels good. On the clothes in the suitcase he received is a rooster – each piece of clothing shows that he plays for his national team now. Okay, he didn't play yet. But he is in the national team's circle, right at the first game after his one year long compulsory break.  
With due optimism, he didn't dare to count on making the step into the A national team so soon.

It doesn't stay silent for long – he assumes a few seconds, in reality he was alone for probably a few minutes.  
The door opens, a suitcase is pushed into the room, a player follows. Antoine gets up.

“Well? Finally done with the interview?”

It's a real relief to see the player. It's Karim Benzema. By no means can he call him 'friend', but at least they have talked a few times, in the Spanish player tunnels. It's a connection being French in Spain.  
So he doesn't share his room with a stranger.

“Yeah, luckily. I would have let you know but I didn't know who's going to be my roommate.”

Karim slams the suitcase on his bed, opens it and takes a look inside. Watching him, Antoine realizes how new he is – and how much experience the others already collected. This is by far not the first time Karim acquires his gear.

“Benz. You can call me Benz.”

It feels like another step. He has gained Karim's – Benz' – trust.  
Or something like that.

“Grizi.”

Benz nods shortly in his direction, then he starts emptying his suitcase. Not quite a talkative colleague but that's not bad in Antoine's view. And as Benz picks a song on his phone before throwing it on the bed, volume turned up as high as possible, he definitely knows Benz is a really good roommate. Not unnecessarily talkative, same taste in music as himself, plays in Spain... Feels good to have so much he's already used to around him.

~*~*~


	4. Third chapter … where Antoine goes running

**Third chapter  
… where Antoine goes running**

Antoine inhales deeply as he walks outside. The air is fresh – simply morning countryside air. You can't taste pollution, instead frost or something like that.  
Only after that he realizes he isn't on his own. A few meters away from him there's Olivier, he stands on one leg. Looks like warming up, looks like he isn't the only one who planned to do some early-morning exercise.

Now, Olivier spotted him, too. He lets his leg down and nods at him.

“Morning.”  
“Hello.”

Antoine begins to stretch while Olivier shakes his legs.

“Do you go jogging, too?”

Only after a few words he already knows that Olivier is much more talkative than Benz. If you take the average spoken words per minute, he already overcame Benz without difficulties.  
It's good that he didn't spend so much time with Benz to get used to it. Yesterday at the training, at dinner and at the following lecture, he heard enough French to not get slain by Olivier's communicativeness.

“Yes. Do you know a nice route here?”

Of course he could take the way to the training ground. But it isn't really long – he doesn't want to wear himself out, but he can take a bit more – and it's not really appealing.  
Olivier frowns, then he points vaguely to the horizon.

“Over there, through the trees... Wanna run together?”

He doesn't have to ponder over that. Like he realized before, he doesn't know the way. Also, they're both professionals – if their ways of running don't fit, they probably won't have a problem with splitting up and continuing on their own.

“Gladly. Just finishing stretching...”

He changes his position, shifts his weight to the right leg. That way, he only sees from the corner of his eye how Olivier nods to the upper windows of the building, grinning.

“So Didi won't get angry?”

Antoine can't help returning the grin. Olivier treats him like a nerd – even though he just warmed up, too.  
It's time to steal his thunder. He unbends and shakes his legs.

“Ready?”

Olivier nods, his grin still didn't disappear. He would love to sprint – so fast that Olivier can't catch up -, but the thought on having training later kills every wish for revenge.  
So they start running side by side. For a short length, they stay on the gravel path, then Olivier switches over to the grass. From that point on, they run cross-country.

Their ways of running fit quite well from Antoine's point of view. Olivier's legs and thus his steps are a bit longer than Antoine's but it's compensated because Antoine is a little bit faster. They can run next to each other without problems and without one of them having to adjust his pace.  
At least he doesn't have to and Olivier also looks like he's running however he wants to.

Apropos look: Olivier didn't dress up for his early-morning exercise. His outfit looks like it was lying around and Olivier picked it up randomly – neither planned nor checked for style. His hair looks like Olivier did without hair gel for now.  
Doesn't make him ugly.

He should say something before he keeps brooding over Olivier's appearance.

“Where are we heading?”

Valid question. They are heading toward the woods, the way is getting steeper slowly.  
Olivier doesn't share his view, obviously.

“Wait for it.”

Pity. But it seems to be something spectacular, judging from Olivier's grin. Well, on the other hand he grins all the time.  
However, his change of subject also indicates that.

“Who's your roommate?”  
“Benz.”  
“Oh.”

Olivier laughs before posing the next question.

“Let me guess: He's still in bed?”  
“Bingo. He's a morning grouch, right?”  
“Yeah, you can put it that way. He only gets up because he needs to – he wouldn't do it voluntarily. That's why you have to go running on your own.”

Olivier is right. He thought that as roommates, they would get up at a similar time so they can go outside together but even when he dropped his suitcase, Benz didn't move.  
Judging from Olivier's tale, it's supposedly better that way. Who knows how he would have reacted if he woke up – if he got woken up way too early.  
He then decided to go outside alone. Wasn't much of a problem for him, nevertheless he's quite glad having met Olivier. Together it's simply more pleasant, especially at this time when he fears he'd fall asleep every second. The conversation with Olivier keeps him awake and also leaving this aspect aside it's fun talking to him.  
Besides, he doesn't know a single route here. He was already really glad that Benz led him from their room to the training, back to the room, to the dining hall and back again to the room yesterday.

“What about you? Why are you on your own? Is your roommate also a slugabed?”

Oliver laughs to himself.

“Hugo... No, not quite. He even got up before me. But he doesn't like jogging that much. He prefers Yoga.”

Okay, now he understands why Olivier laughed. It's really surprising and somehow funny. Only his mental image isn't as exhilarant as supposed – it fits Hugo, the quiet and prudent captain of their national team.  
However he doesn't know yet if Olivier is trustworthy. Sure, his knowledge about Benz proved to be true but who knows if he doesn't tell him, the small, naive greenhorn, nonsense concerning Hugo.

“Seriously?”  
“Yeah – you can also ask someone else. He's known for beginning each day with a round of Yoga. Would be interesting to know how he would be without those exercises...”  
“A small fury?”

Olivier looks directly at him, his laughter is... It's like he thought before, when he heard Olivier laugh for the first time. His laughter is loud, almost exorbitantly loud, but this shows how honest it is.

„Exactly. But I don't want to try it out – Hugo is okay the way he is and if he needs Yoga for that, he can do Yoga for five hours per day. As long as he turns up in the goal from time to time.”  
“So you prefer going for a run alone.”  
“Yes. We both prefer it that way – I don't have to be quiet so he can do his exercises in peace and he isn't bothered.”

This is also something he can imagine. The fidgety Olivier and the calm Hugo in one room, that's a combination which isn't quite fitting all the time.

“Besides, you have me.”

Olivier reaches out to him and pets his hair. Doesn't work properly during running but he doesn't let that keep him from trying.


	5. Fourth chapter … where Olivier and Antoine reach the climax

**Fourth chapter  
… where Olivier and Antoine reach the climax**

They entered the forest, it gets even colder than before. But it feels quite good – running heats up after all. And still there's nothing to see of Olivier's surprise.  
It doesn't change when Olivier stops suddenly. Looks like they reached the highest point of the mountain now but that's the only peculiarity.

“Are we there yet?”

Antoine steps up next to Olivier who is stretching right now. He makes himself even bigger that way, towers Antoine even more.  
Luckily, he stops soon.

“Yeah.”  
“And what's here?”  
“You're so impatient, Grizi.”

Yesterday in the evening when things weren't that formal anymore, he introduced himself as 'Grizi'. He didn't realize Olivier was next to him then.  
It's good that he adopted the name. Actually he doesn't like it when somebody calls him 'Antoine'. Almost nobody does it anyway.

“Yeah. So, what is it?”

Olivier looks at him feigned reproachfully but his laughter reveals him.

“Okay, I will tell you.”  
“So nice of you.”  
“If you continue like that, I won't.”

Contrary to his threat, he steps up behind Antoine and lays his arms on his shoulders. One dangles casually in front of his chest, he uses the other one to point forward.

“There.”  
“Forest. I've seen a lot of it today already.”

Now he hears Olivier's laughter directly next to his ear.

“You're way too demanding.”

Antoine leans back, against Olivier's chest. It's comfortable. Olivier radiates a bit of warmth through his jacket.

“Over there, there's the Eiffel Tower.”

Alright. Not only that the forest is blocking their view – they're about one hour travel time away from Paris. They could stand on a tower, with clear sight, and they still wouldn't see the Eiffel Tower.  
Nevertheless, he stays quiet. He looks forward as if you could really see the Eiffel Tower there, nothing more. It's really... enjoyable right now. The silence, the fresh air, Olivier's proximity...  
He likes Olivier. At a stroke, he becomes aware of this. This guy is okay, really okay.

“And you-”  
“Hugo and you-”

At the same moment, they decide to continue the talk. Olivier laughs, Antoine can't help but to laugh with him.

“You first.”  
“Okay. Hugo and you, you are derby opponents, right?”

It's difficult for Antoine to keep all his teammates' clubs in his mind. Of course he saw games from several players, he played against Benz and Raphaël. But with the other teams he loses track and he confuses especially the English clubs.  
He's quite sure that Hugo plays for Tottenham and Olivier for Arsenal, but he doesn't want to rely on that.

“Yeah! But they put one of the worst derby opponents in my room. Hugo is way too friendly for enmities, especially when we're in one team.”

And again his mental image of Hugo is confirmed. He's fine with him – it's good to have an obviously nice captain.  
Hugo, captain of the national team, is his captain now... It's still unfamiliar.

Olivier's thoughts seem to be heading in the same direction.

“Now you're with 'les bleus'. Next step: Brazil?”

This is unfamiliar, too. He dreamed of playing a big tournament for his team so often. And now, suddenly, he has the chance to do so.

“Sure.”  
“You're really convinced of yourself, eh?”

Olivier doesn't sound like that's a bad thing for him. It's an unbiased evaluation.

„Aren't we all?“

Olivier's breath tickles his ear as he laughs softly.

“Okay, Brazil isn't my 'next step'. But it's my big goal. I have the opportunity to be part of it so I give it everything. If it doesn't work out, it's no big deal, if it does...”

He gets goosebumps on his arms. This is the scenario he barely dares to dream of.  
So he switches topic quickly.

“What about you? Brazil scheduled?”  
“Nobody can really schedule it. But it would be so disappointing if I got kicked so shortly before the World Cup.”

It sounds really relaxed. Nevertheless can Antoine comprehend how it feels for Olivier. Being scared of failure, being scared of failing on the last steps...  
Maybe this is why the next sentence just leaves his mouth.

“Let's make a promise.”  
“Mh?”

Antoine turns around in Olivier's arms and takes a step back. They need a bit of distance for what he planned, otherwise it misses the needed symbolism.

“Let's promise we will both do everything to go to Brazil.”

Olivier stops frowning. But then, he shakes his head.

“No.”  
“How?”

He didn't see this expression on Olivier in the last few hours. This expression full of... will and ambition.

„We promise something else.“

He inhales, thus creates more tension.

“Let's promise we will be on the plane to Brazil together in three months.”

Antoines heart races suddenly. That's... That's just unreal now.

“That's unfair. I didn't even have an international cap yet.”  
“Didi said he will take a look at the greenhorns, too, during the match against Holland. And if he likes one, he takes him to Brazil. Our chances are equal. I believe in you, Grizi.”

Now his hands start shaking. To hear those words coming from Olivier...  
For a change, he is serious now. No laughter, no grin, not even a smile. He just looks at him, with this ambitious expression.

“Don't act coyly, Antoine. I saw you at the training. You're really good. So?”

He reaches out his hand. And after breathing deeply, he shakes his hand.


	6. Fifth chapter … where Antoine has breakfast with Garfield the Algerian kat, and an Odie of the nasty kind

**Fifth chapter  
… where Antoine has breakfast with Garfield the Algerian kat, and an Odie of the nasty kind**

When Antoine returned to his room, Benz was already awake. Well... What counts as 'awake' for Benz. Other people would call it deep sleep. He trotted up and down the room, carried stuff from one point to another. Antoines questions about what he was doing stayed unanswered.  
At some point he was finished with whatever he was doing and they went to the dining hall together. There, Benz helped himself from the buffet with half closed eyes, afterward he withdrew with his plate and a cup of coffee to a table – of course he chose the spot next to the wall so he could rest his head against it and continue dozing.

Antoine is not that unassuming. He takes more time at the buffet, examines everything carefully before he picks something – before he picks a more balanced compilation than Benz. It describes Benz' choice quite well that a breakfast with three croissants counts as 'balanced'.  
With a full plate, he seats himself across from Benz. He can't ask him if that's okay but he doesn't think it isn't. After all, they are roommates and he actually won't be able to disturb Benz.

He finished about the half of his first croissant when Olivier sits down next to him with a plate similarly full as Antoine's. He too doesn't ask if it's okay to sit here what shows Antoine that they have free choice of seats.

“Ah, he woke up after all.”

Olivier nods in Benz' direction while he begins to put butter on his toast.

“Yeah, but I don't know how. He was awake when we came back.”

They can't continue talking – which isn't too bad, Antoine doesn't know how deep in sleep Benz really is. Their corner has an addition. Mathieu Valbuena has a seat next to Benz.  
He seems tired, though not as tired as Benz. Well, that's hard to overcome. Instead of getting some food on his own, he lies on the table. He puts his head on his arm, slides away from Benz, so far that Antoine worries about him slipping down the table. But shortly before he reaches the end of the table, he stops. Slowly he lowers his hand and picks up one of the napkins on the table. He starts to pull on it really dreamy.  
At least, his eyes are still open.

And then Antoine realizes he doesn't lie on the table because he is so tired. Mathieu just wanted to target Benz better.  
With the small beads he forms of the napkin shreds, he starts to shoot Benz.

Benz doesn't react. Only his nose twitches when one of Mathieu's missiles comes too close. Seems to be Mathieu's goal.  
At least it's really funny watching him. Antoine shares the thrill with him a bit, he's waiting for Mathieu to hit Benz' nose. Olivier also takes part. He leaves his Toast aside for most of the time, he also watches the bombardment.  
His laughter is relatively faint. He doesn't want to wake up Benz, probably.

But then, his bad conscience pops up. After all, Benz is one of the players here he knows best – and he is defenseless.  
So he leans over to Olivier.

“Should we intervene somehow?”

Olivier snorts as Mathieu misses Benz' nose by only a few millimeters, then he leans closer toward him.

“Not necessary. Benz can deal with it.”

Doesn't really convince him. Benz is still defenseless and he thinks that's nasty.  
He doesn't have to say anything, Olivier recognizes his struggles nevertheless.

“Those two, they are like Garfield and Odie.”

This means supposedly that everything is alright. The fad lazy cat – fits Benz somehow – bears the small hyper dog – that's a really good comparison, too, if you add a bit of nastiness.  
If they're okay with it...


	7. Sixth chapter … where croissants matter a lot

**Sixth chapter  
… where croissants matter a lot**

Antoine picks up his second croissants. He already ate the first one.  
Olivier doesn't miss that.

“You took three croissants? Did you consider that somewhere in this dining hall there's a poor little football player who doesn't get anything to eat?”

Immediately he looks over to Mathieu who is still busy bombarding Benz.

“Mhhh They had so many. And... I love croissants. I would eat croissants each day but they just don't taste in Spain.”

Now, Olivier looks at him understanding.

“Yeah, I know that. I come upon croissants quite often but they resemble chewing gum most of the time. Or they're strange in another way. So don't worry, it's not better in England.”

This statement makes Mathieu stop his bombardment. He lifts his head shortly.

“Mercenaries.”  
“Ah well?”

Antoine can't hide his grin. Mathieu misses it nevertheless because he has to hit Benz again.  
Now, he hits his nose. Benz grunts.

“How long do you play at your team?”

He's got Mathieu's full attention now – he didn't expect objection, obviously. Next to him, Olivier snorts softly.

“Since 2006. Doesn't sound like a mercenary, eh, small one?”

Olivier's snorting becomes louder. This bamboozles Mathieu even more. Not only objection, now Olivier makes fun of him, too.

“What's so funny about that, Giroud?”  
“Mhh...”

He actually manages to fit decent sentences in between his snorts.

“Grizi joined his club around ten years ago. I looked it up on Google.”

Mathieu's reaction is other than expected. He nods at Antoine acknowledging.  
But then he's full back on Odie-mode.

“On Google... Were you looking for nudes of him?”

Olivier rolls his eyes, he even wants to come back at him. But Mathieu is faster.

“So, did you find something? It's difficult, eh? Not everyone has as many nudes online as you – thanks to all kinds of articles I know really detailed now how you look naked. Thanks, wouldn't have been necessary.”

Again, Olivier rolls his eyes.

„You see me naked all the time under the shower, you don't need pics. Same for Grizi.“

Antoine feels how he turns red. Okay, this discussion is worn out now – it's time for a change of subject.  
Before Mathieu wants to talk about who looks at who and for how long...

“Don't you want to eat something, too?”

Olivier finished his second toast by now, Antoine is going to start with his third croissant soon. Only Mathieu is busy elsewhere. On the other hand it's quite possible he just lives off malices in the morning.

Apparently not – Mathieu nods.

“Yeah, indeed.”  
“Then you should go get something.”  
“That's what I planned to do.”

And then Antoine recognizes why Benz puts his arm protectively around his plate even during sleep. It's an anti-theft-device, he shields his food from Mathieu.  
Doesn't help much. His coffee cup isn't guarded so Mathieu starts there. Little by little, he pulls the cup toward himself so Benz won't wake up.  
Before he ventures on the second step, he first takes a deep sip from his newly stolen cup.  
Next, Mathieu demonstrates that the anti-theft-device doesn't work for the plate neither. He leans across half the table, then he pulls the plate away just like that. Again really slowly, but also really safe. Benz doesn't notice anything.

Mathieu doesn't care that Benz' choice is crappy. He enjoys his stolen goods.  
Olivier explains that away.

“Mathieu is a master thief. He steals everything. Especially food.”

Mathieu only nods then he swallows the piece of toast.

“Also hearts. Be careful, small one.”  
“Sure, Valbuena. Leave that to me.”  
“Ah well, Giroud?”

Olivier makes a rude gesture toward Mathieu but him laughing shows he isn't serious.  
Nevertheless it's time for him to leave those two – three, if you count Benz in. At least for the moment, he wants to raid the buffet again. Taking some coffee, checking if there are croissants left...  
He stands up and picks up his empty cup.

“Coffee, anyone?”

Mathieu shakes his head and raises his – stolen – almost full cup. But Oliviers cup is also empty.

“Yes, please, but don't go to any trouble. Do you want to get croissants?”

He saw through him. So there's nothing left than nodding.

“If somebody asks why you bring so many croissants – say that one is for me.”

He accepts this offer gladly. So he sets out for the coffee.  
Stealing his heart... Those two debated over who can steal his heart. Only jokingly, Antoine thinks about it nevertheless.  
As matters stand now, Olivier has a better shot at it, that's for sure. He likes Mathieu, too – even though he is barely bearable -, but Olivier... Olivier would rather be the type for more.

First, he fills three cups with coffee. Benz couldn't place an order but him picking a cup before shows he likes coffee. As Mathieu stole his coffee, he rather brings him a fresh one. He probably needs it when he wakes up.  
Next, he goes over to the croissants. There is Paul who's placing already the second croissant on his plate. There are enough of them, nothing to worry about.  
Nevertheless, Paul smiles apologetically.

“They don't taste in Italy.”


	8. Seventh chapter … where Antoine's virginity and hairy balls are discussed

**Seventh chapter  
… where Antoine's virginity and hairy balls are discussed **

“Thanks.”

Smiling, Olivier takes his cup of coffee and the croissants Antoine put on the cups off him. Before Antoine can complain he puts the pastry on his plate.  
Mathieu's gratitude doesn't continue barely as long. After a short nod, he fires his next shot.

“You're almost as caring as Hugo. And equally nice and innocent.”

There, again. 'Nice and innocent'. He had to bear that yesterday, too.  
Yesterday evening, he accepted it. Now, with Mathieu, it's different.

“I'm not innocent.”

Of course, this doesn't work with Mathieu. He grins broadly, seems to be happy to be able to pick at him further.

“Yeah, that's what they say.”

Well, he has something up his sleeve.

“When did you play for the national team the last time?”  
“Mhhh... November, right, Giroud? Against the Ukraine, world cup qualification.”  
“Yes. And stop calling me 'Giroud', Valbuena.”

Mathieu ignores his objection, instead he turns to Antoine again.

“So? You never played for the national team.”  
“But I played for the youth teams. Maybe I would have played earlier in the senior's squad. My last game was 2012, then I got suspended for over a year – from every national team.”

He knew this would be worth its weight in gold. Mathieu lowers his – or rather Benz' – toast surprised.

“You?”  
“Yeah, me. So I'm not that innocent.”

While Mathieu obviously has to get over this, Olivier continues the interview.

“What did you get up to? One year – more than one year – is quite a lot...”  
“We went partying in Paris the night before a qualification match.”

Mathieu went on to laughing in disbelief meanwhile.

“Were you here, too, back then?”

Had they been in Clairefontaine, their punishment probably wouldn't have been this harsh. From here, you're faster in Paris than from their training camp back then.

“No. We were at Le Havre.”

Now, Olivier starts snorting, too.”

“Le Havre? That Le Havre?”  
“The Le Havre at the Channel, yeah. That's why they weren't exactly delighted when we buggered off to Paris. It's quite a distance.”

Mathieu wants to slam his fist on the table, but he stops shortly before. He doesn't want to wake up Benz, probably.

“Okay, that's brilliant, small one! Acts like he's innocent and then... Ey, do you want anything else to eat? I'll go fetch something. We need to celebrate!”

He shows he's serious by standing up. Antoine's confession impressed him a lot seemingly – so much that he suddenly found a pile of motivation.

“For me, another croissant, please.”  
“You get as many croissants as you please, small Grizi. What about you, Giroud? Another set of hairy balls?”  
“Those are kiwis! And just stop calling me 'Giroud', Valbuena!”


	9. Eighth chapter … where Hugo is enlightened

**Eighth chapter  
… where Hugo is enlightened**

The dinner hall fills up slowly. They were amongst the first, now the second batch arrives.  
Amongst them is Hugo. He comes over to them, says hello to everyone around, fetches a chair from the other side of the table and sits down with them.

Now it's back, the strange sentiment. Olivier and also Mathieu could distract him but now he realizes again that he's new here. He doesn't know the customs and rules, he doesn't even know the people here.

“Do I disturb? Do you sit next to each other normally? I can also switch places.”

Olivier puts his hand on his shoulder, he keeps him from standing up that way. Hugo smiles amicably at him – okay, that means nothing coming from Hugo, he always smiles that amicably and also somehow tentative.  
But before the captain can say anything, Mathieu intervenes.

“Yes.”

With his free hand, Olivier waves in Mathieu's direction, his other hand stays on Antoine's shoulder. Hugo also shows he stretched a point. The glance he darts at Mathieu is – especially by his standards – really indignant.

“That's no problem, it's okay. Everyone sits down wherever he likes. We don't have fixed seating arrangements.”

Olivier seemed to have recognized that Antoine doesn't hold a grudge against Mathieu because of his comment.  
Why should he? He spent some time with him yesterday and now, at the breakfast, he saw even more from him. By now he knows Mathieu has a damn loose tongue.  
Accordingly loose is Olivier's addition.

“There's only one rule. Hugo always wants to sit next to Valbuena.”

Mathieu's reaction is surprising.

“I want to have Hugo next to me all the time.”

The quiet, innocent Hugo makes Mathieu go calm? Well, not exactly, he just witnessed that. But he seems to like Hugo a lot even though they're completely different.  
Mathieu's next deed indicates this, too. He pushes his plate toward Hugo and as Hugo pushes it back equally nonverbal, he garnishes it with a fierce look. Looks like they're doing that quite often because Hugo doesn't need another silent prompt. He takes one of the buttered and with marmalade covered toasts and starts eating it.

Olivier finished his plate by now. He leans back, takes a sip from his cup and turns toward Hugo.

“Well, did you finally finish your Yoga exercises?”

Hugo can't answer, his mouth is full right now. Mathieu takes over for him.

“Hey, he already did some sports today! Even if you don't accept Yoga as sports – it's more than other people here did until now.”  
“I don't know what you mean, Valbuena. We were already jogging today.”

Now Hugo finished his bite and intervenes. Of course, he immediately takes care of the deescalation.

“We?”  
“Grizi and me.”

Hugo grins knowingly with an emphasizing nod.

“You took care of your protégé?”

Should he argue with that? Should he point out to Hugo that he's wrong?  
He doesn't have to do that. Olivier undertakes it.

“Grizi isn't my protégé. He's my jogging partner. My roommate prefers doing the sun salute.”

A smile plays on Hugo's lips, he suddenly stares at a point directly next to Antoine's head.

“Really?”

Only now, Antoine realizes Oliviers hand still resting on his shoulder which means his arm is still around him. Is this what Hugo hints at?  
They don't delve more into this subject because now Mathieu pipes up.  
He was quiet for a really long time by his standards.

“Oooh, Hugo! Do you know what the small one did?”

Olivier sights.

“You shouldn't call other people 'small one', Valbuena.”  
“Why not? I don't say 'smaller than me'. Well, Hugo. Do you know?”

Hugo is as cool as a cucumber again. Antoine thinks back to the talk he had with Olivier while jogging – how would Hugo be without Hugo? Would he still be this relaxed?

“He got suspended for a year from the national team because he traveled across France to go partying before a match!”

Now, Hugo loses his composure for a moment. He looks surprised for a moment.  
Before he can doubt Mathieu's statement, Antoine rather confirms it immediately.

“He's right. It was even more than a year and for all the national teams.”  
“You didn't guess that, eh, Hugo? He looks so well-behaved and innocent!”

Hugo hums affirmatively.  
But then, Benz intervenes – eyes still closed.

“I knew all the time he's a sly dog.”


	10. Ninth chapter … where loose ends are tied up

**Ninth chapter  
… where loose ends are tied up**

Antoine doesn't know how he ended up next to Olivier again. Yesterday they spoke barely, today they're almost inseparable.  
But he doesn't complain. He is glad not to be on his own. Furthermore, he likes Olivier.

They are standing around on the pitch right now, waiting for the rest to arrive.  
The rest... Benz is amongst them. Otherwise, he would be here with Benz maybe, but he had to disappear to their room after the breakfast while Olivier and Antoine already headed to the pitch. The way Antoine got to know him here, he guesses that he laid down for a couple more minutes.

“I wonder if Paul's hairstyle was as bad last time, too.”

Antoine looks in the same direction as Olivier – over there, there's Paul, leaning on a bar.  
Actually, he is too new in this team. He doesn't know with who he'll get along in the long run, he doesn't know who provokes bad statements to retell them. Furthermore, he clicks quite well with Paul. Yesterday, they had a really exciting kicker match.  
But Paul's hairstyle is safe territory, probably. It's so extraordinary that almost everyone here tattles about it.

“Maybe it outgrows in Brazil.”  
“Hopefully.”

Their tittle-tattle has a common basis, Antoine realizes as he turns his head and looks at Olivier. They wear almost the same hairstyle. The hair on the side of Olivier's head is shorter than with him, also his hair falls the other direction.

Nevertheless, Olivier changes subject.

“Well? Excited?”  
“Because of training?”  
“Yeah. It's a national team training.”

The only faint smile playing on Olivier's lips shows he's relatively sincere.

“Nah. It's like always – just football. Training, playing... Getting started was more difficult.”  
“Your song yesterday evening?”

Just as all debutants he had to sing a song on his first evening with the team. He really worried about that a lot – he likes to sing but he doesn't think of himself as a great singer. On top of that he had to choose a song. If he had ruined the song, he would have ruined his entry. He was sitting ducks, virtually.  
Luckily, everything worked out. His flaws weren't too big and he seemed to leave a good impression.

“Yeah, among others. So many unknown players... But it gets better and when it's about football, everything is like I'm used to.”  
“Good.”

Yes, he thinks so, too. Also, there is one thing he didn't say: Now that his worries that he can't click with his new teammates proved redundant, he can concentrate on playing even more.

Across from them, their coach enters the pitch. At the same time, Benz storms on the pitch. Just in time, Antoine guesses.  
Olivier nods toward the middle of the pitch where the other players assemble. They should leave their tittle-tattle spot on the side of the pitch and join them.

The training itself is surprisingly Olivier-free. Most of the partner exercises he's doing with Benz.  
He's finally awake now. Antoine doesn't know what helped him – the coffee? The final nap? The sprint to the pitch? - but he's quite glad his training partner isn't a stick in the mud anymore.

Au contraire. His passes are sharp and fast, Antoine has to be really alert to catch them. His back passes are accordingly slow first but then he slowly gets used to Benz' speed – unfortunately only at the end of an exercise. At the next exercise, he's similarly overwhelmed.  
And at the end of the training session, he understands why Benz is always that tired.


	11. Tenth chapter … where Antoine can finally enter the pitch

**Tenth chapter  
… where Antoine can finally enter the pitch**

It's a torture, waiting in the tunnel. His first international match is so close and what is he doing? Standing here, waiting. And yet, everything looks ready – the refs are right in the front, behind them the two teams are lined up, with the escort kids holding their hands.  
Antoine presses his escort kid's hand. The small one is also a little bit excited.

Antoine himself... It's positive excitement. Until right now he was really calm but then the other players goaded on him, showed him how special this game today is. He could have spared that, he would have preferred to be relaxed.  
But no, that wasn't granted.

The man before him, Eliaquim, was really okay. The only things coming from him were “Have fun.” and a reassuring smile. His aura is so positive, it didn't upset him.  
Behind him, there's Rapha, they still don't really know each other. So his welcome was rather short.

But then, there was the chaos club. Mathieu, who came up to the front just to kick him in the butt – he's placed at the end of the row. Olivier who petted his hair when passing by, looking at him... So hopeful, way too hopeful. He doesn't want to dash his expectations. The other Mathieu – Debuchy – who came over to him several times to pat him on the shoulders and the back. “You'll make it”, “It will be okay” - he felt like he was mortally ill and Mathieu was trying to distract him from it with might and main. And finally, Benz who was directly in front of Mathieu Valbuena – so some way behind him – shouted some instructions for him.

That doesn't matter anymore. Here they go.  
The line starts walking, first the referees and Hugo. Also the Dutch players but Antoine doesn't pay attention to them anymore.

Those are the steps which lead him to his national team debut, he becomes aware of that right now. Steps into a stadium filled with French for who he'll play now.  
On the back straight, there's a choreography, it shows a huge tricolore.  
Okay, now he's really excited.

Walking over the pitch feels so surreal, like a dream. Well, it is a dream which comes true now. How often has he dreamed of entering the pitch with the French national team?  
They line up next to each other, their escort kids right in front of them. He's used to that, that calms him down a bit. Also the Dutch national anthem – he isn't used to it, but it isn't something special for him neither.

And then, the Marseillaise starts playing.

The other players – at least most of them – start singing loudly at once. Even his escort kid who was so nervous before, sings. He sings so loudly, he almost drowns out the other players. Only he is still excited. Of course, he sings too, but those words, this martial message, doesn't quite fit what he feels.  
Nevertheless, it feels good. Singing the national anthem, representing his country, that's the biggest honor his country can give him football wise.

After the hymn, they shake hands with their opponents, then they spread on the field.  
And as soon as the ball moves, Antoine feels a change.

Nothing is important. The pressure, the expectations, this overwhelming, almost crushing sentiment of representing his county. Now he's where he belongs to. The basic principle is easy. The ball has to get to the opponent's goal and it isn't allowed to get in their own goal. And he possesses the rules, the technique and the ability. That's what he does day by day, for several years now. This is where he belongs.

Only after he gets subbed off in the second half, he realizes again that this was his debut. He doesn't need anybody to tell him – nobody is here anyway, the substitutes warm up right now. The sentiment comes back all on its own.  
Antoine slumps on the bench and enjoys. Now, he's officially an international.


	12. Eleventh chapter … where Antoine dreams of going walkies

**Eleventh chapter  
… where Antoine dreams of going walkies**

Antoine's phone beeps the whole day. It's almost annoying but he's happy about it – those are people who remember his birthday.  
When he was shopping before, he deactivated the sound. Would have been strange if he beeped all the time.  
But now that he's back home... He doesn't want to miss a call, from his family or something like that.

After he put away his purchases, he decides to empty his postbox. He doesn't expect much – bills and advertisement, stuff like that. He doesn't receive letters for his birthday and his sister's package arrived yesterday already. He needs to open it afterward, after all, he's waiting for it since yesterday.

His sister and him are old enough to lead lives on their own. Nevertheless, they made room for each other and the relation he has towards her is really special.

A newspaper sticks out of the postbox, he pulls it out before opening the box. Inside, there's actually a surprise. Between some envelopes, there is a postcard.  
On the front side, there's quite an ugly drooling bulldog. It wears a hat in the colors of the flag of Great Britain and if this wasn't already showing where the card is from, there are big letters up and below it, forming 'London'.  
Who could send him a postcard from London? Since he was at the national team, he knows a few guys more.

As he goes back to his apartment, he turns around the card and starts reading. The text is French which reduces the suspects' count. A short look toward the end of the text confirms what he already guessed: The postcard is from Olivier.

_Dear Grizi,_

_happy birthday! I hope the postcard arrives on the right day, if it doesn't, please act like it did._

He doesn't have to pretend the postcard arrived on the right day. Olivier's timing was perfect.

_Tell me when you're free the next time. I want to visit you. You'll get your present then. They say, Saint-Sébastien is really worth a visit ;-)_

Like a generic Frenchman, Olivier chose the French name of his home town, based on 'Why should I grapple with the Spanish or even Basque version when there's a French one, too?'.  
But there is something more interesting in this sentence for Antoine and it's the Smiley. Olivier really made an effort to draw it – the closed eye even has eyelashes.

_Enjoy yourself! Yours, Olivier._

Antoine turns over the postcard again. Looks like Olivier chose the ugliest postcard he could find. Also, it doesn't really fit. Neither is it a birthday card nor does the dog fit Olivier. Intuitively, Antoine guesses Olivier's dog – if he had one – would be less ugly and cleaner.  
Nevertheless, the card is appropriate. And he's pleased with it – both with the card itself and that Olivier wants to visit him.

As he arrives in the kitchen, he first picks up his phone. The other congratulations have to wait, it's Olivier's turn now.  
They had contact after the game against Holland – after his debut. But not so much that he counted on receiving such a special congratulation.  
The postcard is the explanation for why Olivier asked subtle for his address. Antoine didn't smell a rat – he didn't count on receiving a postcard with an ugly dog on his birthday.

_I just received your postcard. Thank you!_

Olivier's answer doesn't tarry. Suddenly the display jumps to 'online', then to 'writing'.

_Today? Then it went smoothly :-D_

His eyes dart to the postcard as he answers.

_Yeah, it did. Ugly dog, by the way ;)_

Olivier doesn't write anything anymore. Instead he sends a photo.  
He seems to be at home right now, too. His hair is messed up, his T-shirt is a bit too large. Well, by now he knows Olivier doesn't care about leaving the house without dressing up.  
Why should he? He still looks good.

The most important thing on the photo is the middle finger, Antoine guesses.  
Now, he writes something, too.

_It's great. We will get a dog like this._

Did he understand that correctly? Antoine decides to ask.

_The two of us?_

Olivier's answer appears immediately.

_Sure._

Great. And he has nothing to say?  
Nevertheless, he likes the concept. Not only because he likes dogs – he thinks it could be quite nice to have a dog together with Olivier. They both like to go for a run in the morning, it wouldn't be a problem to take a dog with them.  
Also, he believes Olivier would take care of the dog, too.  
Olivier, himself and a big drooling dog... Sounds like a good combination.

Nevertheless, it would be great if his birthday present wasn't an English bulldog.


	13. Twelfth chapter …. where Lyon is the hub

**Twelfth chapter  
…. where Lyon is the hub**

Seeing Olivier here, at the beach of San Sebastián, is unfamiliar. This is Spain for sure and Olivier belonged to France in Antoine's view.  
It's like that with the main part of the national team. He met them in France, they're a part of France for him. Only Rapha and Benz are an exception – they already met in Spain. Visiting Benz in Madrid a few weeks ago was more normal, somehow.

He's glad Olivier is visiting him, sure. He only realized his French life and his Spain life overlapped thanks to Oliviers visit.

Not even one hour ago, he picked up Olivier from the airport. He was totally worn out from his journey – his flight lasted several hours. Nevertheless, he wanted to see the sea first.

“I like the sea.”

Olivier's statement comes unexpected. Until now, they walked next to each other in silence.

“In London, there's the River Thames. Everything is dirty and the sound of the sea is also mussing.”

Antoine doesn't really know what to answer. Everything he can say in response would sound like he's showing off.  
But he doesn't have to say anything. Oliver asks him something.

“Where are you from? Like, where are you born?”  
“France.”  
“Ha, ha.”

He likes Olivier's laughter lines. When he laughs, he creases his whole face, laughter lines form on his cheeks and next to his eyes.

“Mâcon. And you?”  
“Chambery.”

Oh, now he understands Olivier's longing for the sea even more.

“So, in the heart of the country.”  
“Not only. Next to the mountains. No sea far and wide, only some lakes.”  
“We have the Saône. If you count a big river as a sea...”

Olivier's hand brushes his shortly. By now, it's so cold, he would like to hold it, simply to have a heat source.  
But it also means the beach gets emptier slowly. The arriving dawn, accompanied by cold, chases the ramblers away.  
Everyone except one tourist from London and his beach guide.

“Doesn't rush too much either, eh? But it isn't far apart – Mâcon is on the other side of Lyon, right?”  
“Yeah, that's about right. I think it's about two hours journey time... One to Lyon and then one hour to get to you?”  
“Yeah, sounds right.”

So they're from the same area... Isn't really useful – if they lived in their birth towns, they could meet in Lyon.  
Nevertheless, Antoine thinks that's interesting.

“And now, you live beside the sea... Well, since you're here.”  
“Not directly beside the sea. But it's close.”

Olivier is more serious today. Not completely serious, he laughs, he makes jokes... But he's calmer, says more serious stuff. Maybe it's because of the sea, maybe it's because he's tired, Antoine doesn't know. He only knows it's nice to get to know Olivier like this, too.

“Should we sit down?”  
“Gladly.”

Had he known they went to the beach, he would have brought a blanket. Now they have to sit in the sand.  
Doesn't seem to bother Olivier. He slumps and removes his shoes. Then his toes dig into the sand.

The laughter lines are back as Antoine looks into Olivier's face again. And now Antoine realizes something what was different when they met before: Olivier looks really relaxed. He feels good with him.


	14. Thirteenth chapter … where a ring is missing

**Thirteenth chapter  
… where a ring is missing**

Again and again, Antoine asks himself if he should propose going back home slowly. It's obvious Olivier is exhausted, he deserves arriving at his home and making himself comfortable there.  
On the other hand, they're not at the beach because Antoine insists on it. Olivier doesn't look like he wants to leave.

Antoine has no problem with staying here longer. It's one of his favorite places here and together with Olivier... He likes being here with Olivier. Because of Olivier's presence, because it's fun spending time with him, without time pressure, without tasks waiting for them. And especially because he senses Olivier feels good here. The way he lets sand run through his fingers, digs his toes into the sand tells its own story. Olivier likes the beach so much he doesn't obviously even care how he gets the sand from his clothes afterward.

By now, it's really quiet here, at least at their part of the beach. Further down, there are several beach bars, there are some parties going on, of course. But here, where they are, nobody is around anymore and the the only things arriving from the beach bars is scattered music.  
Olivier contained himself before when they weren't alone yet. He spoke quieter, laughed quieter, looked around all the time to check if he could say what he wanted without anyone listening. Now, he's completely relaxed and he behaves normal again. Without inhibitions, he tells different stories, comments on Antoine's stories, laughs loud and at any sacrifice.

Antoine didn't expect to meet a player on his first trip to the national team gets along with that well. It's different from Benz – he knew him before and they are similar somehow. But Olivier... They just met at the national team and even though they're absolutely different, they get along excellently. They complete each other, somehow.  
Well, 'absolutely different' is a matter of definition, anyway. They're not that different. They laugh about the same stuff, share the same opinions on some points.

Benz is like a big brother, Olivier is a friend.

And somehow more than that. Antoine had to be blind not to see how attractive Olivier is. He doesn't know what exactly makes him that attractive – he looked at him often enough to find some imperfections. Has to be his charisma what makes him attractive.  
He just can't ignore that.

But he should. He lives by the motto 'just look, don't touch' and if he can't appreciate Olivier's look without wanting more he has to ignore it. As long as he can't see he is in contention for something more, he shouldn't want more.  
If it were only his looks... There's so much adequate on Olivier. Character, looks, behavior. He was able to suppress that at the national team, now, sitting next to him at the beach, without an international cap at the back of his mind, he just can't manage it anymore.

Luckily, there's another reason why Olivier is taboo. Antoine just has to take a look at his wedding ring to know things sorted out themselves. Then he doesn't have to guess if Olivier approaches him somehow, if he is in contention for something. The wedding ring says no.  
Now it's time to look at it. He has to look at the wedding ring and bring it into effect.

Sounds like a good plan. But at Olivier's left hand, there is no ring.  
Right, according to Alsace tradition? Olivier isn't from the Alsace, but he isn't neither and he has Alsatian roots nevertheless. Also, he doesn't know where Olivier's wife is from. He only knows she exists – he overheard that at the national team and there, he also saw Olivier's wedding ring. He didn't want to research a lot and of course he didn't keep in mind on which side Olivier put his wedding ring.  
Doesn't matter. On the right, there's no ring neither.

Antoine takes a second look at his hands, a third look, a fifth look. But he isn't wrong. Olivier holds his hands so he can see all of his fingers and there is no ring.

If they weren't sitting at the beach, if Olivier hadn't come to Spain just to visit him, if he hadn't looked for a ring desperately right now, he would have thought about what to say. That way, it just leaves his mouth.

“Where is your wedding ring?”

Shortly, Olivier lifts his head, then he looks at his hands – like he was checking if there was really no ring. Then he looks at Antoine again.

“In London. I wear it seldom by now. Only in public so there are no stupid questions or rumors.”

Now he knows why he wore his wedding ring in Clairefontaine. They had a lot of photos taken there. Here, it's completely different. Probably, nobody realizes Olivier is in Spain.  
But what exactly does that mean?  
Olivier keeps talking without Antoine having to ask him.

“My wife and I, we are virtually separated. We still live together, we are still married, but nothing more.”  
“Oh... For how long already?”  
“Should be around two months now. But we're sure it's permanent, we can't fix it anymore. We stay together because of our daughter mostly – and because I can have my peace that way. It's quite nice to be a happily married man in the public, I worked hard for it.”

He can understand Olivier really well. Also in England, the media must be really pungent concerning footballers' relationships. Olivier's separation and following speculations would be just what they're waiting for.  
Antoine thinks Olivier has revealed quite a lot by now – but he isn't finished yet.

“I just don't know what I should do if she isn't up for London anymore or if the homesickness becomes too big. There's not a lot what keeps here there... I don't, that's for sure. And then, I'm left without wife. It's not bad for me personally – it's actually strange living with someone you can't talk with anymore. But if it gets published...”


	15. Fourteenth chapter … where Antoine comes clean

**Fourteenth chapter  
… where Antoine comes clean**

He has never witnessed Olivier this serious. Apparently, they've known each other long enough by now to be able to talk about more serious topics, too.  
If so, he should also come clean. Especially because Olivier finished his narrative now.

“I am gay.”

Olivier looks surprised only for a short moment, then he nods as if Antoine just told him it will rain tomorrow.

“And your girlfriend? Alibi, I suppose?”

Ah, he isn't the only one who's well-briefed. Olivier also knows about his official relationship status.

“Yes. She's my best friend and eventually, we decided to act as if we were in a relationship.”  
“Isn't it difficult for her? Like, having a 'normal' relationship then? Everyone thinks she's in a relationship...”

Antoine laughs softly. He worried about that too and then it turned out he didn't have to worry. Erika's dream guy was in the loop.

“Technically, yeah. But there are people who know she's only my alibi girlfriend. I thought it would be quite relaxing having my family visiting – we wouldn't have to act like we were a couple then. Well, for her, it was even more than relaxing. Her and my brother vibed and shortly after, they became a couple.”

Somehow, Antoine felt Olivier would love this story. His serious expression disappeared, he laughs.

“You are dating your brother's girlfriend then?”  
“Yes, but I had her first! It's strange sometimes nevertheless... I ask myself occasionally what he has what I don't have - I never was more than a friend for her and she was over the moon with Théo at once.”  
“Ooooh!”

Yeah, Olivier obviously get a kick out of this story.

“You tell everybody you're gay and in reality you want to pinch your brother's girlfriend...”  
“No, I don't! Otherwise, I would have hooked her before she met my brother!”

Olivier punches his shoulder, Antoine punches back. This results in Olivier falling down in the sand so dramatically, Antoine is glad nobody's nearby. Who knows, maybe someone would have called the police.  
He feels Olivier isn't serious. So he continues talking.

“I usually don't tell anybody about it. It's somehow shitty being jealous of his brother. But I'm not jealous because I want Erika. It's just... She's – objectively – so lovely, looks great, too... And then, there's my clumsy brother who barely manages anything and woosh, love. It's annoying when I'm single for a longer time, seeing it was so easy for Théo.”

Now, Olivier is a bit more earnest. He brushes the sand from his body, his grin disappeared.

“And now, you're single, too? It's crap, being alone.”

That's too earnest in Antoine's opinion. He needs to loosen up.

“Yeah, I'm single. But I'm not alone – I live with Erika, have you already forgotten.”

Olivier hits himself against the forehead. And there it is again, his laughter.

“Ah, right. Not exactly better than a relationship, but also quite okay, eh?”  
“Better than living with his virtually-ex-wife.”  
“I would sign that immediately, I don't even have to know Erika. Ah – will I meet her later?”

He really likes talking with Olivier. They can switch within seconds from joking to talking earnestly and back, Olivier always reacts appropriately. He knows when his comments are acceptably annoying and when he has to drop them, he knows when to laugh – and when not to laugh.

“Sadly, no. She said, she'll meet some friends and she'll sleep over at her best friend so we have the place all to ourselves.”  
“Too bad. I would have loved to meet the woman who turns the Griezmanns' heads.”

Antoine makes a silly faces, Olivier reacts by sticking out his tongue. But then, he remembers something.

“But it's really convenient with Erika. When she and your brother marry and she takes his name, you can pretend you married her. Just put a ring on your finger, done. Nobody will realize Madame Griezmann didn't marry Antoine, but Théo.”  
“I even got a ring.”

Antoine stretches his arm to show Olivier the ring he wears almost all the time.

“I advise that, too, all the time. Well, at least, I think about it. I can't tell them, they're sensitive about that. They don't think about getting married yet...”

Olivier grabs his hand and takes a look at his tattoo. H – O – P – E, his ring almost covers the O.

“It isn't urgent anyway. They're still young.”

Antoine doesn't really know what to answer. He would like to ask if he speaks from experience – if he regrets his marriage and if he preferred having waiting a bit longer. But this question is too obvious. Looks like it, actually. They would have saved themselves a lot of trouble if they had allowed themselves more time, Olivier and his wife.


	16. Fifteenth chapter … where Olivier reveals even more

**Fifteenth chapter  
… where Olivier reveals even more**

Olivier's next statement bursting into his thoughts is quite surprising.

“I'm bi.”

He leaves go of his hand, his laughter appears inappropriate. What's so funny about that?  
As always, Olivier doesn't laugh without ulterior motive. He tells Antoine the reason in his next sentence.

“Confession time, eh? What else do you have to confess?”  
“Nothing else comes to my mind right now. But first, I want to get to know more about you? Really bi or just in theory?”  
“Really bi... You're a crackerjack. Yeah, I'd say so. It's rather casual with men and I'm only in relationships with women but for me, both men and women are attractive. Why should I let a chance slip?”

His grin fits his statement. It's a bit more mischievous now.

“Nice attitude.”  
“You're more of a romantic, eh?”

Olivier glances around shortly. At that, he recognizes they still don't have a blanket with them. So he takes of his jacket, crumples it and puts it down so he can use it as pillow.  
While Antoine still considers also taking his jacket off – it's rather cold but if Olivier lies down, he doesn't want to keep sitting, he's too far away that way -, Olivier taps on his breast invitingly.

“Lie down here, small one.”

His 'small one' sounds completely different than Mathieu's. It's not only more convincing coming from him – compared to him, Antoine really is small -, it somehow sounds affectionate, not as mean as coming from Mathieu.

He can't recline this offer. They can't look in their eyes that way, but then they both lie down. Also, Antoine simply wants to lie down, not only because Olivier did it. Just lying on the back, watching the stars... If he gets a comfortable bolster without having to take off his jacket, he accepts gladly.

Thus, he turns so that he's sitting laterally to Olivier. Then he gets down until his head lies down on Olivier's breast.  
Okay, he may take back the part with 'comfortable'. It's not really uncomfortable but it isn't as soft as he had imagined it – whyever. Instead, his personal pillow has other advantages: It's warm and it's pleasing feeling Olivier breathing.

He also thought something different about the stars. Directly above them, you barely see any – the city is way too close. Only out there, over the sea, where they looked before, the sky is full of stars.

Doesn't matter. He's lying here, with Olivier whose hand idly strokes his hair and he just feels at ease. Nothing is missing right now, he wouldn't want to be somewhere else. Everything is fine here.  
They don't even have to talk anymore. They talked enough for today, now it's nice lying on the beach in silence. Preferably he would sleep like that, just closing his eyes now and falling asleep. But he doesn't want to do that to Olivier.

When Olivier says something again, his voice is way more fainter than before.

“I like you, Grizi.”

A simple sentence which leaves so many ways of interpretations. Of course he likes him, else he wouldn't have come to Spain just to lie on the beach with him at night.  
Pointing it out may have a deeper meaning.

“I like you, too.”

Who knows, maybe Olivier is someone he may be in contention for.

The situation is potentially sappy. But Olivier stops it – luckily, it's enough for now in Antoine's opinion. They don't want to go overboard, after all.  
He starts shifting beneath him.

“We should leave soon. You have to be fit for tomorrow, after all, for your present.”

Antoine's agreement sticks in his throat. His present...  
Ah, now that Olivier talks about it – he's right. On his postcard where he told him he would visit him. Now Antoine remembers he also wrote he'll get his present on his visit.  
He completely forgot about it. He didn't even take it seriously.

Well, it looks like Olivier actually meant it.

“Present?”

He's taken by surprise. It's really unfair Olivier approaches him that way in the middle of the night.

“Yeah. It was your birthday, remember?”

Olivier's voice sounds a bit mockingly. His fingers sliding through Antoine's hair and then alongside his jawbone, show the opposite.

“Then... bed? Well, first home, then bed.”  
“You're crazy, Oli.”

He feels Olivier's laughter, feels how his upper body quivers.

“Come on.”

Ah right, Olivier proposed standing up. And he actually liked that proposal.  
Antoine bobs up, then he reaches out for Olivier. He accepts the help surprisingly without comment and lets Antoine pull him to his feet. He picks up his jacket and shakes it out. Obviously it gives him an idea. Shortly he examines Antoine then he knocks on his back.

“Sand.”

A short but convincing explanation. He would have gambled on the sand hiding in their clothes falling out during walking. But if Olivier thinks they have to dust down, he participates.  
After they're a bit more sand-free, they start walking.  
Only after a short time, Antoine puts his hand on Olivier's back. Actually just because he wants to push him to the right direction – Olivier tends to swing because of the missing route and either to bump into him or to run away from him -, but then he has no reason to take his hand away.  
He likes this spot, somehow. And Olivier doesn't object neither.


	17. Sixteenth chapter … where Antoine doesn't want to get up

**Sixteenth chapter  
… where Antoine doesn't want to get up**

Like every morning, Antoine's alarm is way too loud and inappropriate. This morning, it is even worse.  
He doesn't want to wake up. He doesn't want to get up. Can't he just continue dozing?  
Like yesterday evening when he lay in his bed. That was nice. He simply forgot his precaution and thought about Olivier, in a non-platonic way.

But now he's back in real life. The real life where he can't rate the chances at getting Olivier this high, where he can't enjoy the sentiment of 'Olivier likes me'.  
It's time he remembers his rules again. Don't raise your hopes concerning team mates.

Antoine rolls over on his stomach and presses his face in the pillow. He doesn't want to go to training. Instead, he wants to sit at the beach with Olivier, having the sentiment there's something more between them.  
If he had him here at least... Not only in his apartment but also in his bed. Then he could pretend he was still asleep while snuggling at him. But no, Olivier disappeared to the guest room dutifully. To the guest room where he could sneak to.

Okay, he has to suppress all these thoughts. He should recollect his abilities as a host. Getting up, preparing breakfast, whatever you do when having a guest.  
But then, Antoine realizes something. Noise is coming from the apartment.  
Could be the kitchen. Plates are clattering, cutlery too, the radio blares a song, Olivier blares a version of this song with a heavy French influence.

It raises his spirits. How can he stay grumpy with a singing Olivier?  
He could easily listen to him for hours. But suddenly, the clattering stops, Olivier's steps become louder than the music and the singing comes closer. Then, the bedroom door opens.

“Griziiiii...”

Pretending being asleep or getting up?  
He makes his guest work in the kitchen while he's sleeping – he should get up now at the latest. But getting up doesn't please him neither.  
Antoine finds a compromise. He turns his head, shows Olivier this way he's awake.

Olivier doesn't seem to be up for a long time neither. At least not that long he got round to dress. He stands in front of his bed just in pants.  
Intense sight so early in the morning. He doesn't know if he should be relieved the sight is blocked as Olivier sits down on the edge of the bed.

“Move over a bit.”

Sounds doable. He can't get up but he can move over. So he slides over to the wall, away from Olivier. He takes advantage of the created free space by laying down next to him.  
Another sign he's not awake for a long time.

“You want the blanket?”

Antoine lifts his blanket so Olivier can slip under it. They get way too close this way but he can't let his guest lie in the cold like that.

“Naaah. I'll never get up that way.”

Saying this, Olivier gets even closer to him and pulls the blanket over his body.  
Of course he's right. When they get comfortable here, it will be even more difficult getting up. But he wouldn't prefer missing out on this.  
Antoine feels Olivier's arm on his. It's not much considering they're both half-naked together under one blanked but nevertheless it's nice, somehow.

Unfortunately, they can't postpone getting up. After a few minutes, Antoine's alarm starts again, Olivier almost pushes it from the nightstand trying to deactivate it. Seems like the expert needs to take care of it.  
He bends over Olivier, tries to get hold of the little bitch. One touch of a button and the alarm is quiet.  
They really should get up now. Nevertheless, Antoine lowers himself on Olivier, across him. Olivier lays his hand on Antoine's neck.  
Only a few more seconds...


	18. Seventeenth chapter … where Olivier gets proposed to

**Seventeenth chapter  
… where Olivier gets proposed to**

Somehow they actually made it, they got up. Suddenly, Olivier was the more reluctant one, he absolutely didn't want to leave the bed, didn't matter how often Antoine told him they had to get up. But suddenly he startled and did what Antoine told him.  
Now, they're on their way to the kitchen. Olivier joins in the songs again which are clearly audible now. His shock – whatever shocked him – apparently made him awake.

In front of the kitchen door, Olivier pauses. His hand on Antoine's shoulder stops him from simply entering the room.

“Inside, there's your present.”

And again, he surprises him with the present. He wouldn't have thought he'd receive it right after getting up.

“Let's go inside then.”

Antoine doesn't wait for Olivier's reaction anymore. He finally wants to see his present.  
Olivier made himself at home in the kitchen. He put bowls everywhere, boxes which he must have taken out of the cupboard searching for something different, a cup of coffee... But that's not interesting. Way more interesting is the oven and its content.

As fast as possible, he strides over. He has to take a closer look.

“Mini croissants?”  
“You said you only like French croissants. I am French so hopefully they taste good. And they are mini so you'll have more of them.”

The small croissants are rather pale. Each one looks different – Olivier made them by hand, that's clearly visible.  
Nevertheless, Antoine follows up on it.

“Self-made?”  
“Yeah. With goods smuggled into the country from England. I was pretty afraid they'd felt me and then imprisoned me because of 'import of illicit goods'.”

Antoine laughs disbelievingly.

Oh Oli... I think I have to marry you.”  
“You didn't even try the croissants yet. You don't know how they taste. Don't crow too soon.”  
“Doesn't matter if they taste good. You can learn how to make better croissants – but not how to get up quite early voluntarily to make croissants. Sorry, we need to get married.”

Olivier steps up beside him and puts his arm around him.

“Okay, I won't refuse. Do you want a café au lait?”  
“And for lunch, we'll have cheese, baguette and wine?”  
“Means yes?”  
“Of course.”

Unfortunately, Olivier has to let go of him for that. But the café au lait he serves him shortly after is absolutely worth it.

“But I have to dash your expectations. The baguette was too big and they're ransacking you for liquids. You have to visit me in England then you'll get that.”

Olivier puts his hand on his back and shoves him over to the table. After he sat down there, he hurry-scurries off again, grabs the oven mitts and opens the oven. The smell pouring into the kitchen is already promisingly.  
A few curses later – the baking sheet seems to be hot and the oven mitts so annoying that Olivier took them off – he sits down next to him with a dish full of small croissants.

“Croissants are my specialty, just so you know. So don't pitch your expectations too high – I'm only good at making croissants.”

Okay, now he's really expectant. If Olivier sets the bar that high everything what fits underneath still is impressive.  
One bite is enough to be able to judge Olivier's abilities in the kitchen.

“Actually I wanted to invite you for dinner so you could get to know Spanish food. But... I want to try something else from you.”

Olivier's grin gets really wide – so wide he could easily fit some of his croissants next to each other in his mouth.

“It's good?”  
“Really good.”


	19. Eighteenth chapter … where someone calls Antoine's name

**Eighteenth chapter  
… where someone calls Antoine's name**

Antoine holed up. He sits in his bed, he pulled his blanket over his head. The whole world is debarred. He told everyone he isn't approachable right now, locked his doors, his phone muted and beyond reach.  
On his laptop, there is a live stream. The tablet is a backup, just in case there should be something with his laptop. This way, he should be prepared for all eventualities – losing internet connection or power... Hopefully, nothing and nobody is going to interrupt him anymore.

On the stream, the person he was waiting for appears finally: Didier Deschamps. Antoine watches him walking over to the podium, calmly, relaxed, as if he wasn't in control of the nearer destiny of a squad of football players.

Actually, he isn't really nervous. He knew he did his best in his first international, he also showed in training what he's able to perform on the pitch. Now it's Deschamps' decision. And if he doesn't call up his name in this press conference...  
He's young, the next world cup is coming soon and then he'll hopefully have some more internationals on his curriculum.  
That's in theory. In reality, it's completely different. He's really nervous, his heart races. Sure, he has enough shots at playing at a world cup but his shots at this world cup aren't that bad and by now it would be really unfortunate not getting to go to Brazil. It would hurt hearing the names of the football players with whom he spent some days in Clairefontaine two months ago, and then learning he isn't part of the team anymore. He belongs to them now, he doesn't want to get rejected.  
He wants to experience the adventure Brazil.

Luckily, Deschamps doesn't take much time. Straightforwardly, he begins reading the names.

What may the other internationals be doing right now? The last one he had contact with was Benz but they didn't talk about where and how they'll watch the press conference.  
Well, a lot of the players have another French international in their team, they can watch it together.

Deschamps starts with the goalkeepers. By now, Antoine is really quiet – at least until he reads Hugo's name. It reminds him of Clairefontaine, of how he got to know Hugo does Yoga, of Mathieu who's attached to Hugo so much... There are some strange guys in the national team but he grew to like them in the short time he had with them and he feels like he belongs to them. It would be so bitter to know they're together and he isn't there.

The goalkeepers are followed by the defenders. Becoming striker was a bad idea – supposedly they'll come at the end. Means trembling until the very end and hoping until the very end. Preferably he'd stop listening but he's afraid of missing the 'strikers' that way.  
Afterward, he reads the midfielders. Only one position before the strikers...  
No big surprises there. Unfortunately it also means Antoine wasn't sorted into midfield and released already now.

Then, the most important part starts. The list of strikers. Antoine is really sure the break between the position and the first player wasn't that big with the other positions. Does Deschamps want to torture him even more?  
The first striker who gets to travel to Brazil is Benz. His roommate, Antoine thinks before restraining his optimism again a bit. Well, if he was nominated, he'd have his roommate with him.  
Next is Olivier. Thus, Olivier fulfilled his part of their promise – he's on the plane to Brazil.

Right now Antoine feels like throwing up.

The third player. Didier Deschamps takes breath, Antoine feels like he'd perceive every single millisecond nuanced – like he'd watch the press conference in slo-mo.  
And then, there are the words he waited for all the time.

“Antoine Griezmann.”

At a blow, all the tension disappears. He pushes his blanked aside and grabs his handy lying on the nightstand.

_Théo is calling_

Antoine accepts the call.

“You're in the team, brother!”  
“Yeah! I'll go to Brazil!”  
“I'll come with you!”

He hangs up again. There's not much more he can say right now, they'll write later or have a video chat. It's not really free, calling from France to Spain.  
Instead, he opens the first text that arrived on his phone. It's from Mathieu Valbuena.

Antoine's grin feels like it stretches over his whole face. He'll go to Brazil! Mathieu, the Odie double, Benz, his silent roommate, Olivier, his jogging partner who bakes mini-croissants for him for breakfast, Hugo, the most relaxed goalkeeper he ever met, Mathieu Debuchy, the small drama queen – they stay his team mates, also this summer.

The rest of the day, he can barely escape from all the congratulations. But Olivier's message only arrives in the evening, in the form of a video. He beams, he can't be convincingly regretful this way.  
Antoine accepts it nevertheless.

“Griziii! I would have contacted you at once but I had friends and a camera team with me. They wanted to know who I would have nominated in addition after the nomination, that's why I couldn't get in tough... Nevermind! Grizi, we're part of the team! I told you – I knew you'd make it!”


	20. Ninteenth chapter... … where a cliché is disproved

**Ninteenth chapter...  
… where a cliché is disproved**

On his arrival, Antoine thinks about how he feld the last time when he saw those buildings. He was so excited, he didn't know what expected him...  
Now, he's really relaxed. This time, there's a lot less pressure on him. He now knows the people there, he gets along well with the coach and he passed his first international cap. Sure, his first international tournament is ahead of him now, but it doesn't make him nervous yet. Au contraire – he's really looking forward to it. And now, he has got the leisure to prepare for it.

Antoine doesn't even make it to the lobby. Mathieu Debuchy traps him in the entrance hall already. What did Olivier tell him concerning the two small Mathieus? Valbuena should be 'Mat', Debuchy 'Mathieu'. Apart from that, they're difficult to tell apart – both small, both not really fragile, both tattooed and dark-haired. Mathieu is rather slick whereas Mat is more edged, but he can't let them know.  
Now, he doesn't have to say anything for now. Mathieu hugs him one-armedly.

“Griziii, you small debutant! You're here, too!”

Carefully, he pets Mathieu's back, hoping it's the right sign. Mathieu clearly disproves a cliché here right now: The cliché that French always drink wine. Although he behaves drunk, you can't blame wine for it – looks like something stronger, vodka or something like that.  
Champagne, Antoine recognizes as Mathieu breaks away from him and hands him a champagne glass. Antoine guesses that both glasses – Mathieu also carries one for himself – were a bit fuller when he picked them up at the champagne reception. He probably caught two glasses on the pretext of welcoming the next new arrival and sipped on both of them so the new arrival won't suspect anything.

Nevertheless, he's quite sure that the alcohol is only partially to blame for Mathieu being hyper. And because he can clearly relate to that, he returns his glass to Mathieu. He's happy about that but he doesn't allow him to leave anyway.

“Listen, it's gonna be a wicked time. Brazil, dude!”

He nods, humming approvingly. It's admittedly quite nice talking about the world cup with Mathieu but he wants to head for the lobby now. Greeting the other people, picking up his stuff, going to his room...  
Mathieu gets distracted from him as the next new arrival enters. He doesn't have the half-full champagne glass in mind first though.

“Griziii! Mathieu!”

It's Olivier. He's almost as hyper as Antoine, beyond Mathieu's level then. A few steps, then he closed up to them.

First he embraces Antoine really tightly. Antoine also wraps his arms around him, just squeezes him against himself. Now that Olivier is here, he realizes what he has achieved.  
Two months ago, he didn't dare to hope for a participation at the World Cup. Back then, Olivier talked him out of his doubts. And today, they're here.

Olivier lets go of him, now he hugs Mathieu. Antoine could swear the embrace didn't last as long as theirs right now.  
But as they break apart, it doesn't matter. Olivier takes the champagne glass from Mathieu, he empties it in one gulp. Then he puts his left arm around Mathieu's shoulder, the right around Antoine's. They enter the lobby like that.

Time to head over to the other World Cup participants.


	21. Twentieth chapter … where Antoine settles

**Twentieth chapter  
… where Antoine settles**

After a few days, Antoine really feels at home in Clairefontaine. Each day, there are the same people around him. He leaves for training with them, he listens to lectures with them, he spends the evenings with them...

The lectures show him how much he gets used to staying in Clairefontaine. In the beginning, they were exciting – per se they were rather boring but the fact he got to listen to such lectures as part of the national team made them exciting. By now, they are simply boring.

Instead, he found other fun stuff. He gets along with Benz better and better – they are operating well together by now. Antoine knows exactly when and how he's allowed to wake him up, Benz knows which kind of music he's allowed to play when... They fit quite well.  
Also, he spends a lot of time with Paul. They are roughly the same age and sometimes it's actually notable even though the "old men" try not to seem so old.

And then there's Olivier... He can't judge their relationship at all. Well, they stand each other, that's for sure. They kept up their ritual from their first stay in Clairefontaine, each morning they go jogging together. But afterward, they're together often. Sometimes it's only them, sometimes they're sitting with the whole team.  
He likes Olivier. The moments when they're walking around the grounds all on their own are really special for him. For Olivier too, he believes. During those moments, it just feels like during Olivier's visit in San Sebastián. The intimacy is back, the closeness.

Antoine just can't classify. Is it just friendship or is Olivier someone where he can hold a hope?  
If Olivier wasn't a colleague, he would know what to do. The signs Antoine discovered until now would be completely sufficient with a non-football player so he would attempt reaching out for him. Just a bit of flirting, maybe trying to kiss him... Actively exploring the possibilities instead of waiting until it's virtually in cold print he can dare to approach Olivier.  
But Olivier is one of his teammates, that's just the way it is. If his advances banged their head against a brick wall, he'd be smitten.

It's helpful they're here to prepare for the World Cup. It distracts from Olivier – it causes so much work he barely finds time to reflect on his relationship to Olivier.

He's glad to be here. Before the nomination, he imagined how it would be, knowing that all the fools from this team are here, whereas he'd be sitting around in Spain or with his family.  
At the beginning, he had some difficulties. He hung around somewhere on his own and felt lonely quite often. But he blends in better and better. He approaches the team as well as single players.

Should still be a matter of a few days until he's ready for Brazil. There's a lot to practice in training and he needs to get to know the team even closer. But there's still some time left. A few days and some test matches.


	22. Twenty-first chapter … where Mathieu makes demands

**Twenty-first chapter  
… where Mathieu makes demands**

Antoine lies in Olivier's bed again. He likes it there even though he wouldn't actually admit it. Olivier's smell still lingering in the sheets... Nice.  
Normally, Olivier lies next to him or on Hugo's bed. Today, it's different. Today, he stands in front of the bed and tries to teach Mathieu – the whole Mathieu, the slick one, not Mat, the Odie blend – one of Hugo's Yoga positions. Until now, it was Antoine's turn, now Mathieu can take his chance.

“Put the leg farther up...”

Luckily, Hugo isn't here. Otherwise, they couldn't joke about his favorite sport. And that would be a pity – they have a lot of fun.

“Olivier, I can't put it that high.”  
“Hugo can.”

Mathieu almost falls over, he only just manages to loop his arm around Olivier's waist.  
This view is like a hit in the stomach for Antoine. The way Mathieu gazes at him doesn't improve it either. He pulls his eyebrow up, his grin isn't exactly friendly.

Actually, he got along fine with Mathieu once. But sometime, Mathieu's behavior toward him changed completely. He's repellent and when he talks to Antoine, it's mostly trash talk. At least, he's quiet in front of the team. He confines himself on angry glances then, like the one right now.  
Who knows, maybe everything would be okay if Mathieu treated him like he did in the beginning. Instead, he's got the feeling of Mathieu trying to steal Olivier from him all the time.  
Doesn't exactly feel great.

He observes each touch of them warily, each touch which is more than a normal touch, including touches which are quite normal in a friendship, makes him feel uneasy. The Yoga exercises were okay until right now. But until right now nothing special happened. Olivier held Mathieu a bit, that was all. Just now, with this embrace, the feeling returned.

Now Olivier seemed to have decided he's done with teaching Yoga for now. He shoves Mathieu away from him and stretches shortly.

“Can I leave for the bathroom without you two smashing each others head?”

Oh. He wasn't aware that the dislike between Mathieu and him is that strong that Olivier realizes it, too. As a matter of fact he hoped he just imagined it and Mathieu behaved like always.

“For sure, feel free.”

Judging from Mathieu's smile, he doesn't feel guilty. It's relaxed and absolutely peaceful – the exact opposite of the grin he shows Antoine when he pesters Olivier.  
Olivier falls for it. Or is there really no reason to worry?

Yes, there is. Antoine realizes this only a few seconds after as Mathieu slumps on the bed next to him.  
His smiley disappeared without a trace, of course. It was just for Olivier.

Antoine waits for Mathieu to say something. A thread, a stupid remark, something like that. But nothing happens. Mathieu simply looks at him, his stare is threatening, somehow, but that's all.

And as Olivier returns to the room, he jumps up and acts like nothing happened.


	23. Twenty-second chapter … where Olivier sets jealousy priorities

**Twenty-second chapter  
… where Olivier sets jealousy priorities**

Strictly speaking, everything is okay for Antoine right now. He walks on the training center grounds, it's completely quiet, the air is fresh, the temperature bearable, next to him there's Olivier. But sadly, there's something annoying, too.  
The memory of Mathieu.

Enough silence, he decides. Time for straight talking.

“What's going on with Mathieu lately?”  
“Oh.”

Olivier rolls his eyes.

“Did he talk smack to you before?”  
“Well... He didn't actually do anything. He just looked angry. But... Until recently, he was actually nice to me. Even when we arrived here. Everything was okay back then.”

At least he didn't made this up. He guessed that before when Olivier asked if he could leave them alone and his reaction now also indicates that Mathieu behaves strangely.

“I don't know either what's his problem. He has a spot of bother with you, but why... Mathieu is a diva but he has a good intuition. Indeed he really likes to react over the top but he estimates what he reacts to right. Maybe he's jealous. When we arrived here, I was happier to see you than to see him. It isn't that bad – I meet him at the national team all the time and seeing you again was something special. I expected him but not you.”  
“Jealous...”  
“Yeah. The small diva causes drama because she's jealous. I didn't talk with him about it but he's like that quite often. However, he always claims he's only that strange sometimes because he wants the best for me.”

Until now he didn't realize how fitting the term 'diva' is vor Mathieu. Especially his behavior the last few days is absolutely diva like.

“And the best for you is him?”  
“Mhh... He professes he doesn't mean that. He just wants me to get to know the negative aspects of the things I like.”  
“And what's the negative aspect he shows you by looking at me like that?”

Olivier laughs and puts his arm around him. Good to see he approaches this with humor – it shows that Mathieu probably really isn't an hazard. Likely the whole team knows he's off his head sometimes.

“Don't ask me. Am I a diva?”

Olivier doesn't expect him to answer, Antoine is sure. So he just has his own thoughts on the matter.  
No, Olivier is no diva. Somebody who's so cheerful all the time can't be a diva.

They continue walking in silence. But the topic doesn't seem to be closed for Olivier. After a while, he begins to speak again.

“Mathieu is gay. I don't know if this is connected with the drama – he stubbornly insists he isn't into me and if he says so I don't want to doubt it. However, he's too – this has nothing to do with you – too gay. Too intrusive, too much... There are women like this, too, and I can also go without them. But he's a really good gay best friend. Even though he likes to be a diva.”

Now the thoughts on Mathieu faded from the spotlight. Instead, he turns over Olivier's words in his head.  
Okay, Mathieu is taboo for him and just his best friend even if it looks like Mathieu preferred something different. He can't classify Olivier's opinion concerning gays anymore now. He said Mathieu is too gay – seemingly that has nothing to do with him. Is he gay in the right way?  
Looks like Olivier isn't against gays. Would be a bit difficult to just accept also bisexual guys for relationships as bisexual guy.

He has to go into it now. There is something else that bothers him.

“Did you tell Mathieu I'm gay?”  
“No!”

Olivier shakes his head vehemently. Okay, okay, he's already convinced.  
Nevertheless, Olivier keeps on talking.

“It's none of his business. I won't tell him much about it – it's okay if the diva lets off steam a bit, it's okay if he gets jealous. Seems like he needs it. But I wanted you to know. So you're not jealous of Mathieu.”

Another important information. Looks like Olivier wants to convince him he could have a try with him  
Antoine takes note.


	24. Twenty-third chapter … where the Spanish room gets an addition

**Twenty-third chapter  
… where the Spanish room gets an addition**

As Benz enters the room, Antoine doesn't even lift his head. On some days, Benz leaves the room every five minutes and returns accordingly often – by now he knows that Benz reports when something is up. Most of the time, he just launches himself on the bed, he doesn't expect a greeting.  
It's obvious they're together around the clock for a few days now. They behave like... not really like a long-married couple, they would talk more. They are co-ordinated and it's okay like that.

Today, however, Benz distracts him from gaming.

“Does he live with us now?”

It's not worth stopping his game. Also something that worked out that way: Benz knows he considers his Xbox sacred and he respects that.  
The one who supposedly lives with them now is Olivier. He's lying on Antoine's bed right now – Antoine sits in front of it, leaning against the foot – and listens to music. On Antoine's phone, notabene. When they talked about music the first time, Olivier had a giggle over Antoine listening to more French music than him even though he doesn't live in France for quite a while now. Since then he listens to his music all the time and Antoine can claim for himself he brought Olivier some new favorite songs.

“He's lying on my bed. Everything okay.”

By this time he knows Benz that well that he knows he's raising an eyebrow now. Then he launches himself on his own bed.  
Now, Olivier reacts, too. He puts down his headphones – Antoine can hear the music faintly until Olivier turns it off.

“Hello Benz.”  
“Hello, new roommate.”  
“Already gone.”

As Olivier sits up, Antoine pauses his game. He waits until Olivier passes him, rakes his fingers through his hair and leaves the room.

“See you later.”

Farewell scenes aren't really Olivier's strength. When he leaves, it's always quite sudden. But Antoine got used to that, too.  
Okay, now he has to continue his game. However, Benz keeps him from that.

“Grizi?”  
“Mh?”

He's too wanted today. If it continues like that, he'll only play again when everyone's asleep so he has his peace.

“You're hanging around a lot with Olivier, right?”

He can't deny that. It already begins in the morning when they go jogging together. When they're with the team, they also don't really avoid each other and they spend their free time together often.

“Yes...”  
“You like him, right?”  
“I wouldn't spend that much time with him otherwise.”

Normally he doesn't talk about stuff like that with Benz. Even though he doesn't know in which direction – except in Olivier's – the talk is heading, this is for sure. Their conversations aren't about feelings or stuff.  
Thus, it's quite difficult for Benz.

Antoine gets up and sits down on his bed so he can look at Benz better.

“What's up with Olivier?”  
“Be careful with him.”

Saying this, Benz lays down. He catches his headphones from the nightstand and puts them on. Even though he hasn't plugged them in yet it's an obvious sign: The conversation is over. Antoine doesn't receive more information.  
Nevertheless he doesn't return on the floor, to his Xbox. He couldn't concentrate on it now.

Why should he beware of Olivier? He's nice – and it doesn't seem to be an act otherwise he wouldn't be that popular in the national team. Benz also gets along with him quite well, actually.  
Looks like Benz knows Olivier is bi. Maybe he wants to warn him against that – that Olivier wants more than a friendship with him. Well, he doesn't need to get warned against this. It's what he yearns.

However, for knowing that, Benz had to know he's gay. He only told Olivier about it yet and it should stay like that for now. Also, Benz wouldn't exactly be the first one he would tell this. After all, they don't talk a lot about stuff like that.  
He rather lets Benz warn him.


	25. Twenty-fourth chapter … where Antoine touches his nose

**Twenty-fourth chapter  
… where Antoine touches his nose**

The scenery at Antoine's second international is breathtaking as well. He needs to get used to that first. It that even possible?  
Sure, he knows full stadiums from the league. But playing for his home country makes those games really special.

Actually, he would like to ask Olivier now if this tingle, this tension before an international leave sometime. It isn't possible right now though and it's not necessary – Olivier shows him he doesn't know either. They're standing together in the center circle, waiting for performing the kick-off. And Olivier is pretty nervous. All the time he bobs up and down, pulls his jersey, looks around, grimaces...  
Great. If they're both that excited it can happen that they even fail the kick-off.

Their eyes meet, Olivier tries to smile. Antoine gives his best to return the smile.  
Then Olivier taps his nose. It's an obvious sign. He's got something on his nose. Awesome – his second international, so many cameras pointed at him and he's got something on his nose.  
Antoine starts rubbing his nose clean. It's actually fairly difficult, without mirror and not knowing what he has where. He looks at his hands briefly – no blade of grass, nothing. Continue searching? Of course.

Olivier doesn't pay attention anymore. Again, he touches his shorts – everything seems to fit -, he continues bouncing, he rubs his hands, then he claps and shouts something. Antoine ignores it, he's still occupied with his nose.

The referee's whistle brings him back to reality. Who cares about dirt on his nose? He has to kick off now. It's what he does – one kick and he opened the game.

Not until later he recognizes something.

Probably he didn't have anything on his nose. Olivier just wanted to distract him from his excitement. It was a pretty clumsy idea but it worked out. Afterward he observes he calmed down while looking for the dirt on his now.  
Nevertheless, it was nasty from Olivier.


	26. Twenty-fifth chapter … where terror Odie has its comeback

**Twenty-fifth chapter  
… where terror Odie has its comeback**

“No! That's my side!”

Paul lolls partly on the ping-pong table. He laughs them down without shame right now.  
Admittedly it must look pretty strange how Antoine and Rapha share their side of the table. It isn't as simple as they thought to play together on one side whereas on the other side, there's only one player. They bump into each other all the time and just can't agree on areas of responsibility.

What he believed to be rather unlikely actually happened: The ice between Rapha and him melts slowly, they get along better and better. Supposedly their reservation in the beginning is to blame – Rapha is absolutely alright, that is to say.  
They only have to practice playing ping-pong. They thought they'd be a great team, the Spaniards against the Italian... But until now, they just block each other. Paul pins it on the league, of course, he says it shows the Spanish league is useless and the Italian league dominates clearly.

“Okay, pussies. Are you ready? Do you want to get beaten up further?”

Before they can respond, Paul starts the next attack. The small ball swishes over the table, Antoine barely catches it. But after three successful hits, their streak is interrupted by outside influence. Mathieu Valbuena – Mat – appears suddenly, catches the ball out of the air and sits down on the ping-pong table.

“I'm bored, girls.”  
“Get down from the table. You can join Paul.”

He picks the opposite. Instead of getting up, he lies down. The game is definitely interrupted thereby.

“Not that bored. I need more action.”

Now, Antoine gets involved, too.”

“Does Hugo do Yoga at the moment?”

Mat doesn't respond. But his angry look is enough of an answer.  
And then he distracts them from the topic slyly.

“My ladies, it's too peaceful here. It's time for a prank.”  
“And we are the chosen complices?”

Paul lets the substitute ball bounce up and down. He nudges it with his paddle again and again so it stays in motion.  
If he were Mat, he would take care that Paul hits the ball to hard accidentally and it hops to another direction. But Mat stays where he is, unimpressed.

“Correct, Paula. So, you're in?”

As Paul still reflects if he shouldn't pop him from table after all, Rapha answers.

“Do you already have a plan? And a victim?”  
“Of course. I am prepared exceptionally. We'll put water bombs in someone's bed. Simple and effective for the beginning. The victim will be Debuchy. He fusses so lovely.”

Is it due to the cabin fever that Mat makes plans like that? If that's only the beginning, he hopes he's Mat's complice for sure.


	27. Twenty-sixth chapter … where a break-in takes place

**Twenty-sixth chapter  
… where a break-in takes place**

Paul puts his paddle aside and joins them on the other side of the table. Now that all eyes are on him, Mat sits up.

“Do you know which room he's in?”  
“No. Any of you?”

Unisono, they shake their heads. Nobody is that close with Mathieu that he knows the exact room number.

“What now, master Mat?”

Mat seems to like this name. He clicks his tongue.

“Plain vanilla, ladies. We'll find out. Hugo has a room map.”  
“How to we get the map?”

They all take a liking to the idea, that's obvious. Mat was right – it's way too peaceful here and a little prank is long overdue.

“We go to Hugo's room.”  
“How?”  
“I have his room key.”

Mat pulls a card out of his trousers pocket. He's really good prepared.  
His next answer proves that, too.

“Where do we get water bombs from?”

It's nonverbal – out of his other trouser pocket, he pulls a bunch of ballons. Where he got them from is a miracle. In the village of Clairefontaine, there are no more than two bistros, apart from that, there's nothing. Either he got them somewhere there nevertheless or he brought them from home.

“So? Are you with me now, ladies?”

Paul shoves off the table, he collects their paddles and puts them away into the cupboard.

“Sure.”

So they leave for Hugo's room. The story with the key card wasn't a bluff, it actually fits. Until now, Mat's plan works out smoothly.  
But as Paul, Rapha and Antoine stand around idly while Mat searches Hugo's suitcase, the bathroom door opens and Olivier gets out.  
They completely forgot that part. Of course, Antoine was in this room often enough to visit Olivier but he blanked out on the possibility of him being here, too.

Apparently, he just took a shower. Around his waist he wrapped a towel, he has a second one on his shoulders. The water drips down from his hair, runs over his torso...  
Antoine stares. He's aware of it, nevertheless he can't stop it. Only secondarily he perceives how Olivier freezes as he sees the intruders. Then Olivier faces him.  
His mouth turns dry, he feels how he turns red a bit. Olivier's look is unlike other times, he examines him more intensely, somehow.

Of course it's Mat who resolves the tension.

“Found it!”

He waves around with the map, then he notices Antoine and Olivier.

“Ey! You can fuck sometime else. We need to get on!”

Olivier opens and closes his mouth but he isn't able to say a word. Antoine feels absolutely sympathetic to him, it's the same for him. So he gestures somehow – he shrugs, waves his hands – without actually knowing what he wants to say. Then, he follows his troop.

He completely ran out of steam for the prank.


	28. Twenty-seventh chapter … where Antoine celebrates two premieres

**Twenty-seventh chapter  
… where Antoine celebrates two premieres**

Two days break. That meas two days resting, recover from the cabin fever, prepare mentally for the last warm-up fixture and the world cup. Virtually taking breath deeply before it really begins – after the last game, they are going to Brasil.  
Just now, they had the team farewell. Nothing big, they'll see each other soon again anyway. Also, they weren't exactly jolly after the game this evening. Now Antoine is on his way back home, more or less.

He can't leave yet. Olivier is still in the dressing room, he decided to wait outside for him.  
They're going by plane to Lyon together. The whole national team scatters around the country. Some stay in Nizza and its surroundings, many return to the place of their next game – Lille –, a big part heads to Paris, the rest travels home in small groups or individually. Antoine and Olivier are the only ones from around Lyon.

He doesn't have to wait too long until Olivier is ready, too. Actually, he didn't hurry and Olivier doesn't take as long as you'd expect him to. But he needed the few minutes alone and the fresh air.

Olivier pushes his bag's strap farther up his shoulder as he heads over to him. As a matter of fact, Antoine thinks they'd go over to the waiting taxis now that Olivier is here, too, in order to get to the airport. But Olivier surprises him. Arriving at him, he first embraces him.

“Now calmly: Congratulations on your debut, Grizi.”

Antoine's hand slips down to Olivier's tailbone – his favorite spot, as he already figured out in San Sebastián.  
Good to know their flight doesn't leave soon. It feels nice to stand here with Olivier.

“So? How did it feel? First time not in the starting eleven...”

He senses how Olivier's chest vibrates as he laughs. Does Olivier also feel how he laughs?

“Idiot. Three games, three appearances – I absolutely can't and won't complain.”

Again the laughter, then Olivier digs his hand into his hair. He did that before, too, directly after the match.

“And finally scoring the first goal...”

This embrace takes much longer than the one after the game. They've got plenty of time – and they got over the frustration following the equalizer in the 89th minute by now.  
Olivier is the first to congratulate him that extensively. The other players were still busy mourning over the given away victory. He can't blame them – his goal faded into the background for him, too, because they couldn't win the game. Only now, in Olivier's arms, the joy returns.

“I felt you'd to it. I saw you standing free and then I knew it would go in. From there on, I simply watched.”  
„Thanks.“  
„Not at all.“

Then Olivier breaks away from him, he puts his arm around his shoulders instead.

“Okay, let's go back home. But I can promise you one thing: I won't be a great flight companion. I am so tired – it would be a miracle if I didn't sleep during the whole flight.”

That's actually the case. They barely sat down on their seats in their airplane as Olivier beds his head on Antoine's shoulder. He sleeps like that, unperturbed by the take-off, the small turbulences and the stewardesses until they land in Lyon.  
And during the whole flight, Antoine's stomach prickles because Olivier is so close and so trusting he simply sleeps on his shoulder.


	29. Twenty-eighth chapter … where Antoine offers resistance

**Twenty-eighth chapter  
… where Antoine offers resistance**

A storm is brewing above Lille. What else to expect from a city in the north of France?  
Admittedly, Antoine has some prejudices concerning the North. But they actually get confirmed all the time.

Until now, it's still quiet. On the horizon, big dark clouds are forming, the wind gets stronger and stronger but it's barely bearable and it doesn't rain yet. Apparently, he can't expect more from Lille.  
Olivier shares his view. The South – the coast – is bad, the North, too, peculiarly. Only their home region is okay.

Despite the impending thunderstorm, they are sitting in the hotel court. It is nowhere near as beautiful as in Clairefontaine but here, they are on their own and alfresco. They didn't have a bench in Clairefontaine neither, they also simply sat on the grass there. And somehow it was fun crouching behind the bushes growing directly in front of the surrounding wall. It's spacious enough there to sit next to each other and on top of that, they're hidden.

A fact Antoine takes advantage of right now.

“We should go back inside soon, it's dinner time.”

If they didn't have a cover, someone would see them and try to get them into the building. But as they're hidden, they can take their time. That's pretty in the interest of Antoine.

“I don't want yet.”  
“It's obvious you're a newcomer. You're still so rebellious.”

Antoine hits Olivier on the back of his head. Let's see if he won't call him 'newcomer' anymore tomorrow, after his fourth international.  
Normally he'd avoid arriving too late at the dining hall. Olivier is right, he's quite new, it's better he doesn't make a bad impression. But at the moment, he clearly puts Olivier above food. Since the last training is over, they're sitting here and Antoine doesn't feel like getting up yet.

Olivier also gets more serious now. His broad grin disappears, he moves toward him. As his hand automatically slips into Antoine's hair, Antoine puts his hand on his back.

“Why did you only come to the national team this year?”  
“Because of the ban.”  
“Yeah, I know. But why didn't you play in the senior squad before?”

Antoine shrugs.

“Too young? But... I was 21 back then. Paul is also 21 and he plays longer for the national team than me. I don't know... Maybe because I wasn't good enough, maybe because I was below radar level in San Sebastián...”

He leans against Olivier slightly. Like that, he especially doesn't make him appear at dinner – it's nice to sit between the bushes with Olivier, arm ind arm.

“I don't know how you played back then. But you're so good, you could probably have joined the senior squad easily.”

Could be, he can't evaluate it. Nevertheless, it's okay that way. What would have changed anyway? He made it to the team for the World Cup anyway and there's nothing more to wish for at the national team.


	30. Twenty-ninth chapter … where the dots are connected

**Twenty-ninth chapter  
… where the dots are connected**

Normally, now would be the moment for a joke from Olivier. But seemingly Olivier isn't in need for loosening up the situation. He stays serious.

„If i had known you earlier, I wouldn't have gotten married and founded a family.“

Oh. That's a bold statement.  
How should he pin this down? What does Olivier want to say? Is he so stubborn there's only one answer for him or is it the right answer?  
Olivier rakes his fingers through his hair, he squeezes Antoine closer toward him.

Antoine's heart races. All the time, he analyzes Olivier's behavior just to discard his analysis again because he doesn't dare to believe Olivier is actually interested in him. But he can't simply overlook what Olivier just told him. That was way too obvious.  
If he at least said something...

Olivier doesn't say anything. He just looks at him, Antoine realizes as he moves his head toward him.  
And then, suddenly, Olivier's lips meet his.

He is overwhelmed, completely overwhelmed. Way too many questions dart through his head.  
But they fade into the background. The 'why' doesn't matter, the main point is that it happens.  
The main point is Olivier kissing him.

It's a quite harmless kiss, their lips just rest where they are, nothing more. But Olivier's hand in his hair, his own hand beginning to pet Olivier's back, Olivier's lips, the fact that it's Olivier...  
He needs to take advantage, that's for sure. He can't just let Olivier plant a kiss on his lips and nothing more.

Antoine opens his mouth, his tongue strokes Olivier's lips which stand ajar. Then he dares to go on into his mouth.  
Oh wow. That's...  
When he exceptionally thought about how it would be to kiss Olivier, he barely imagined it like that. In his thoughts, Olivier wasn't that reserved, the kiss itself wasn't that careful, that slow, that gentle. But it's good, more than good.

Olivier's hand grips his hair, he places his other hand on Antoine's arm. This reminds Antoine of his pointlessly dangling arm – at least it feels like that in this moment. So he places his second hand on Olivier's belly.  
Olivier breathes in sharply.

Now, Olivier gets more active. He pushes Antoine's tongue back into his mouth, then his tongue slowly feels its way forwart.

But then they break away again, Olivier pulls back his head.  
His smile is different now. It's like his smile when they were at the beach of San Sebastián together – when Olivier was simply content.  
Briefly, he pushes a strand of Antoine's hair away from his forehead.

“We need to go inside.”

Without any objections, he lets Olivier pull him up. Now he wants to stay here all the more, but Olivier is right, they need to appear in the dining hall.

It feels good to walk next to an attractive man he just kissed, brushing him repeatedly.


	31. Thirtieth chapter … where Laurent becomes a storyteller

**Thirtieth chapter  
… where Laurent becomes a storyteller**

Antoine's excitement didn't die away during dinner. All the time, he thought about how he and Olivier kissed. The goosebumps absolutely don't want to disappear.  
He didn't consider it possible, he thought Olivier is simply a good friend. Now he knows there's more to that.

He doesn't know what exactly. But for now, he doesn't care. It's going to solve itself.  
He just wants to kiss Olivier again.

Unfortunately, that's not possible. Before they all go to sleep – tomorrow is the last test match, they have to be fit – there's a community evening. It doesn't matter he'd rather be alone with Olivier now. He has to take part in this team event.  
Until now, it didn't really bother him. They don't do anything special – the team sits together, partly in groups, everyone tells funny stories, they play games. Normally, that's actually fun. But normally he doesn't keep in mind he kissed Olivier not even two hours ago.

Apropos Olivier: He now enters the team room, too. Probably he had to empty the buffet. They're complete soon with him and the players who accompany him – the rest will return from their rooms soon.  
Olivier nods at him as he sees him, then he walks over to him.

“Is there some free space for me?”

Doesn't seem like it. Antoine shares a couch with Rapha and Paul and it's already crowded like that. But Olivier isn't discouraged. He simply climbs over the backrest, sliding down behind Antoine.  
Really nice. If they can't be alone, they can at least sit like that. Antoine leans against him, Olivier puts his arms around him. Again, his tummy tickles. It was great being close to Olivier before but after their kiss, this gets a special meaning.

Laurent uses this to get started with a new topic. It isn't actually surprising, he makes fun of their closeness each time he sees them together. That's quite often – he doesn't only play for the same club as Olivier, they also get along well so he's with Olivier quite often.

“Ah, Olivier needs some love again?”

Antoine feels how Olivier's hand moves on his tummy. He guesses he presents Laurent his middle finger.  
Laurent ignores that, however. He continues talking.

“But don't get it on before the game. That's ill-fated! At least Olivier isn't able to play properly anymore then.”

Olivier clenches up behind him. This added to the fact that everyone makes the impression that's normal for Olivier makes him guess he missed something. Olivier isn't a random victim.  
Laurent's next sentence confirms his suspicion.

“We had that once with the club, we don't need this at the national team as well.”

He simply has to inquire. Even though everyone is listening by now – even the biggest card players interrupted their game.

“What?”  
“Oh, so you don't know the story yet?”  
“I don't think so.”

Actually, this has only to do with Olivier and not with him. But if Laurent says something about them going to bed together, he's involved. He has to listen to Laurent's story because Laurent connects it with him and he has to know how Laurent evaluates him.  
He doesn't feel like getting outed. Until now it sounds like fun but until now, he doesn't know Laurent's story yet.

Laurent enjoys his new part as storyteller, that's obvious. Briefly, he controls if everyone is listening – yes, they are – then he starts narrating.

“It was at the beginning of this year. He had a home game with Arsenal so we slept in a hotel the night before, like always.”  
“Laurent...”

Olivier's voice sounds pretty threatening but that doesn't keep Laurent from continuing talking.

“Olivier prepared in a special way for the game. He had a meuf on his room.”

A meuf. A chick.  
As the others jeer, Antoine tires to keep a straight face somehow. You shouldn't see it in his face that he feels like throwing up any moment.

“Was she hot?”

Blaise asks what many of them probably think. It looks like the main part already knew the story, nevertheless they have a good laugh.  
Antoine doesn't.

Laurent answers the question.

“Lingerie model. Boobs like that.”

He implies her bustline – Antoine hopes for the sake of this lingerie model's health he's exaggerating.  
This is the final straw for Olivier.

“Ta gueule, Laurent.”

Uttering that, he gets up, climbs over the backrest again and leaves the room. Antoine stays where he is, completely taken by surprise.  
What is he supposed to do? Theoretically he would like to follow him but what Laurent told him is really unpleasant.

Doesn't matter. He has to get to him. At least because Olivier is his friends and you don't leave friends on their own when they aren't well.  
Apart from that, it doesn't harm to listen to Olivier's version.

Antoine leaps up to follow Olivier.


	32. Thirty-first chapter … where Olivier is no hero

**Thirty-first chapter  
… where Olivier is no hero**

Antoine finds Olivier in the hotel's back court. Luckily – he wouldn't have known where else to look for him. The place where they kissed before seemed the best refuge.  
This kiss... After Laurent's story, it has negative connotations.

Olivier walks up and down, he kicks the bushes from time to time. At least it's only the bushes – he can't destroy too much there.

“Olivier!”

He turns around to him, so fast Antoine is scared he'll attack him. But then, he recognizes him and his facial expression relaxes a bit. So he walks over to him.

“What's up?”  
“You heard it right before.”

Olivier's gesture is agitated, he didn't calm down yet.  
Antoine is surprised. Normally, Olivier is such a laid-back guy, why does he get mad because of a story that wasn't meant that bad?

“Why does it bug you so much? They celebrated you – you were a hero for them because you...”

No, he can't say it aloud. He doesn't even want to think of Olivier fucking some chick with a big rack anymore.

“But I don't want to be treated like a hero. I am definitively no hero.”  
“Right.”

Antoine can't act like everything is okay. He can't be neutral about this matter.  
This one word is like a bucket of cold water for Olivier. His body tension disappears, also the latent aggressiveness.

“I didn't expect that from you, Olivier.”

He doesn't care if he sounds accusative, wounded, weepy. He just wants Olivier to know that. The frustration released by this story boils in him.  
Olivier looks at him, his look almost reminds him of a dog.

Right now, Antoine doesn't like dogs.

“You didn't know?”  
“How should I have known that? I wasn't there.”

The frustration spreads, demolishing the little bit of neutrality that made him talk to Olivier.  
It really affected him and slowly, he sees the results.

Olivier disregards his snappy comment.

“I thought you knew it. It was a big issue in England, the newspapers printed it and stuff...”  
“I'm not the type for gossip and tittle-tattle. And it didn't reach Spain.”  
“I would have told you if I knew that.”

Great. That would have helped a lot. What does it change?  
A small voice inside him whispers it actually would have changed something. He would have known the facts from the beginning – he wouldn't have developed a soft spot for the perfect Olivier then.  
The perfect Olivier that doesn't exist as he sees now.

“It was a mistake. It didn't help. Antoine, I'm no cheater.”  
“I don't know how things are in England but in Spain and France you actually call someone who cheats on his wife a cheater.”

He stops himself from adding that everyone who cheats on his wife claims that it was a mistake. Instead he fights the feeling that spreads inside him. He has to block out Olivier was that audacious to cheat on his wife.

“It's... It's complicated.”

Olivier rakes through his hair, he actually seems helpless. Nevertheless, Antoine doesn't pity him. Someone who messes up like this has to take the consequences.

“My wife just didn't make me happy anymore. I felt more and more uncomfortable with her, it didn't fit anymore at all. That's why our relationship was closed down and I was looking for something else. Could we sit down?”

The fact that he kind of asks his permission calms Antoine down a tad. Obviously, Olivier recognized he doesn't owe him anything and that it's not taken for granted that he lets him explain.  
He nods, they sit down behind the bushes again.

“I didn't look for a relationship. It wasn't exactly my wife who didn't make me happy anymore, rather the family life. Meaning wife, child, house – things you expect from a father of a family. That's supposed to make you happy but it just put a lot of pressure on me.”

Olivier seems completely calm now. Only his shaking hands betray him.

“I thought an affair could make me happy. It's exciting, you're uncommitted and you have fun. Could be an alternative. So I tried it out. And... The only exciting thing was the perpetual fear of getting caught. It didn't feel good. I didn't feel good.”

Antoine is conflicted. On the one hand, he wants to believe Olivier everything – wants to believe he's not a bad guy, actually. But on the other hand he cheated on his wife. He doesn't want a man who's unfaithful.

“I kept it a secret from my wife. Of course she also realized our relationship went down the tubes. But to tell her I was looking for something else... When you're looking for a new job – at least when you're no football player – you also don't resign at once but look for something new first.”

Should he say something now?  
Olivier takes the wind out of his sails.

“Yeah, I know, that was shitty. I actually thought about relly doing it for a long time. At the end of the day I decided to do it anyway. She was pregnant back then – I didn't want to rub it in to her. I'd rather check out if it maybe wasn't still the best for me being a father of a family. If the result from the affair was a different, I would have had a serious talk with her to sort out how I could make the connection. It didn't went well so everything could stay the same.”

Again, Olivier rakes through his. But Antoine's pity gets less and less. He simply can't pity him when the bad feeling gets even stronger.

“I would have told her anyway. I'm a honest guy – when I screw things up, I admit it. I would have told her I tried it out and that I didn't like it and that I knew it was better for me to stay with her. But she was pregnant and busy coping with it. She wasn't in need of such a confession back then, I thought. So I procrastinated it. And then she could read it in the newspapers.”

After those words, Olivier opens his mouth a few times without saying anything. You can clearly see how he struggles.  
Only after a little change of subject, he can go on.

“We talked about it and found a solution in the end. We will stay together because of the child, nothing more. We broke up but we're still married. And I'm still looking for something that makes me happy.”

That's supposedly it, that's the whole story, now much longer and in Olivier's view.  
He needs to think about it first. Antoine gets up.

Olivier simply watches him as he walks back to the hotel.


	33. Thirty-second chapter … where Antoine screams

**Thirty-second chapter  
… where Antoine screams**

If a pot with boiling milk had feelings, it would probably feel like Antoine right now. He's in a rage, he's shortly before boiling over.  
A few hours okay, everything was still okay – more than okay. The man who he fell in love with showed him it wasn't onesided. But then it became apparent that this man is nobody who Antoine can fall in love with.

If someone cheats on his pregnant wife, he absolutely isn't Antoine's type.

He walks past the community room ignoring the laughter coming from there. At the moment, he can't return – he needs to be alone.  
Before, he wanted that, too. He wanted to be alone with Olivier back then. Now he'd preferably launch Olivier into outer space. To Pluto, if possible, the distance should be barely enough. Not far enough yet but farther than the moon.

Antoine arrives at his room door, he opens it with his key card. The room is empty. Good. Nothing against Benz but he can't even stand him now.  
He strides over to his bed, he seizes his pillow and launches himself on the mattress. Then he squeezes his face into the pillow and screams.

He has to get rid of everything. The disappointment, the feeling of catching a Tartar, the anger directed at himself because he was so naive, because he didn't recognize that... It works best when he's screaming.

Well, at least that's what he planned. But suddenly he hears the bathroom door opening.  
Benz is actually there.

“Shit, Grizi! Everything okay?”

He breathes in, breathes out... Before he can answer, he needs to calm down. At least rudimentarily. Then he throws the pillow on the bed.

“No! Nothing is okay! This connard is cheating!”

Benz carefully approaches him, he sits down on his own bed. Safe distance, supposedly.

“Olivier?”  
“Yes.”

Right now, he doesn't care anymore. He doesn't care if Benz learns he's gay, he doesn't care if Benz learns he was so stupid to fall in love with Olivier.

“But everybody knew.”  
“I didn't! Great everybody noticed it – except me.”

He stares at the ceiling trying to ignore the tears in his eyes. At the moment, he feels like he had a knife in his heart. Heartbreak at the national team, he did really well.

“Oh.”  
“Yeah, right.”

Benz ignores him. He continues talking just as if Antoine didn't say anything.

“I warned you against him. I meant the affair.”  
“I thought you warned me because he's also into men.”

He doesn't care he's spilling Olivier's secret – is it a secret at all? - all the more.

“It wouldn't have been a problem. I somehow felt that you... well. It also seemed like there could be a thing between you two so I wanted you to take care. So he doesn't break your heart.”

Antoine laughs bitterly. Yes, there was a thing between them. And yes, he also seemed to have broken his heart. Olivier really hurt him.  
At least not by cheating on him, they didn't make it that far.

Benz' presence is calming, somehow. Especially because he isn't as bling towards feelings as he always thought. Looks like his insight into human nature betrayed him with both Olivier and Benz.  
He rolls on his stomach, looks over to Benz. He's here, he knows about him, so he has to listen to his rants – it's his own fault.

“Why is he such an idiot, Benz?”  
“Mh... It isn't a problem for me. We are no angels so why should I hold it up against him?”

Right, that was the next topic Laurent started to talk about. Even Antoine heard about it – Benz already played in Spain during his big scandal and only got discharged in January.  
However, this brings another dilemma. He also likes Benz even though he messed up the same way.  
As if he could read his thoughts, Benz continues.

“It's really bad for a relationship, actually. You expect him to be faithful, he isn't. Doesn't fit, unfortunately.”

Again, Benz is right. It's really simple: Their expectations of what they could have don't fit so they can't have anything. Except friendship, of course.  
He isn't willing to be a singular occurrence for Olivier.


	34. Thirty-third chapter … where Antoine forgets

**Thirty-third chapter  
… where Antoine forgets**

The resume of the last test match is short. Antoine ignored Olivier, Olivier on the other hand ignored that, Antoine was distracted by Olivier and Olivier caught him off-guard.

He wasn't part of the starting eleven. Nevertheless, he was concentrated – first in watching, then in warming up. Olivier faded into the background then. It was actually relaxing, after all he spent the whole day thinking about Olivier and suffering. In the evening, he had his peace.  
At least in the beginning. Then he was substituted. And the player he was substituted for was Olivier, of course.

Could have been quite okay. During the game he managed to see Olivier as plain normal teammate. Even at Olivier's goal he didn't care he actually is out of sorts with him. He was happy about it just as about the other goals.  
But Olivier's gesture when he ran toward him for the substitution... He touched his nose, like at Antoine's second international. It's kind of a sign for 'don't be nervous'.

Olivier thinking about him being nervous and having a sign only they understand discomposed him. It showed him Olivier is actually no random teammate.

Nevertheless he could concentrate on the game soon. On the pitch, there's no time for thoughts not concerning the game. It resulted in two goals – Antoine scored his international goals number two and three.

Now, the game is over. Almost everyone receives congratulations – today, seemingly everyone scored a goal or prepared one.  
Until now he avoided getting too close to Olivier.

But then, he hears his voice.

“Grizi! Griziii! Griz-Aaaah!”

He found him and he observed that Antoine realized that. At once, Olivier leaves his group behind and walks over to him. Arriving there, he first embraces him.

That's a normal embrace between two colleagues, that's a normal embrace between two colleagues, that's...

No, it's not. Antoine is sure Olivier didn't squeeze the other players that tightly and that long.  
He'd love to simply enjoy it. It would be so easy – stopping thinking, abandoning thoughts. Standing here with Olivier forever, feeling his warm body, his arms holding him... But he can't simply stop thinking.

Antoine removes one hand from Olivier's back. He puts it on his shoulder and pushes him away. But instead of simply stepping back, Olivier rakes his hair.  
Again something special between them. Nobody rakes his hair as often as Olivier and Olivier doesn't rake anybody's hair as often as his.

He turns away from Olivier, feeling that the sting in his heart returned.  
It still hurts.

After a few steps, he bumps against Paul.

“Ey, double scorer!”

They shake hands, Antoine forces a smile.  
It's lousy having the 'he's my ex' feeling without ever having a relationship with Olivier.


	35. Thirty-fourth chapter … where Antoine adapts his rhythm

**Thirty-fourth chapter  
… where Antoine adapts his rhythm**

After transatlantic travels you're supposed to return to a normal schedule as soon as possible – generally after long trips. Antoine thought of that and set the alarm. His body finds it strange but he pulls through nevertheless. He wants to get used to Brazil as soon as possible.

It's their first morning in Brazil. They arrived yesterday in the night after a pretty exhausting journey. First the long flight where almost everyone slept. He stayed awake intentionally to already get used to the time change a bit. Also he wouldn't actually have been able to sleep even if he wanted to. Then the stopover in São Paulo they used to play cards and games of dice. They traveled the last stage with a smaller plane and a bus drove them from the airport to the hotel.  
He's glad that's over now.

Of course Benz is still asleep. Antoine guesses that barely no one got up at this time. On the other hand they partially slept during the journey so it's possible some are awake already.  
Unfortunately, he's pretty sure Olivier slept most of the time. He's a typical plane sleeper.

Antoine is really optimistic. At least he tries to be optimistic. He wants to avoid a confrontation with Olivier but they got used to going jogging together every day. Now he simply hopes Olivier quits today.

His hands shake a bit as he pushes the entrance door open. With all due optimism he can't get rid of his inner pictures of Olivier warming up next to the entrance.  
The hotel's courtyard is empty. No sign of Olivier.

That's good. Antoine realizes he actually has to talk to Olivier sometime but he'd like to procrastinate it a bit further. Once he began he can't stop that easily.  
They didn't talk about Olivier's revelation. Antoine gave him a little hint what he thinks about it at the last match, it also explains his reaction directly after the talk but nothing more. He didn't tell Olivier face to face what he thinks about his revelation.

Antoine starts stretching.

Actually, he doesn't want to construct a drama. He plans on treating Olivier just like a normal colleague. So it wouldn't be terrible if Olivier stood in front of the hotel, waiting for him.  
On the other hand, Olivier is the only one he goes jogging with. This early-morning exercise isn't something he does with a 'plain normal' teammate.  
But jogging is harmless. It's no sign he accepts Olivier's behaviour.

It's cursed.  
It gets even more cursed as the door opens and Olivier – of course Olivier, who else? - exits.

“Hello.”  
“Morning, Grizi.” 

Grizi. Everybody calls him Grizi.  
But even this nickname has a special meaning with Olivier. Antoine is forced to remember how he called him yesterday – how he rejoiced over his double score.

Olivier bends, he shortly touches his toe tips. His final hope resolves itself by that – he warms up to also go jogging.

“Are you waiting for me, Grizi?”

This decision was already difficult enough before his question. Now he doesn't have a choice anymore.

“Okay.”


	36. Thirty-fifth chapter … where Benz sleeps

**Thirty-fifth chapter  
… where Benz sleeps**

Antoine is really glad as they finish their jogging lap. After the journey yesterday they both didn't feel like doing a big lap meaning they don't have to run next to each other in silence anymore.  
A few days ago, everything was different. They talked all the time back then while running around. But now, they don't really get into conversation. That may be due to the fact Antoine doesn't want to allow it.

But then he realizes something. He may have come through the run but it still takes a while until there's breakfast. Now he curses Benz – if he hadn't a roommate who gets up just before he has to, he could seek refuge with him now. Unfortunately, both him and Olivier know he's alone for now. He can't actually check every room if there's someone else who's already awake.  
Olivier also recognized that. Or he simply wants to dawdle away until breakfast with him.

“Let's head to the back.”

He apparently means the hotel's inner courtyard where the pools are located. If he remembers correctly that's where the meals are served.  
Just looks like it, Antoine notes as the walk past one of the pools. On a cobbled square, there's a lot of garden furniture – no sign of breakfast yet, though. This means he has to take up with Olivier's presence for quite a time still.

They walk next to each other until they arrive at a meadow, sitting down there.  
What now? Actually, they can't say nothing forever but Antoine doesn't really want to speak neither.

Justifiably, he notices at Olivier's first sentence.

“Grizi, the cheating thing...”

He doesn't want to hear anything about it. He doesn't want Olivier to say sorry, to explain himself, to promise he'll change for the better. He doesn't want to hear he doesn't have to spend a thought on it anyway. Because of 'the cheating thing', he considers Olivier as over and done with.

“It's your funeral.”  
“But...”  
“You had your reasons, you have to deal with it. It's your funeral.”

Unfortunately. If Olivier is cheating, he's taboo for him.

“It's not that easy!”

Now it's like with soccer. It's like he's standing in front of a goal, during a match against a team that doesn't mean anything to him (anymore). He has a good chance to score the crucial goal, it's only on him. But at the same moment he realizes he'll bring down the opposing team once and for all.  
Olivier sounds so desperate – he even looks desperate. But in front of him, there's the empty goal. He has to score.

Antoine looks at Olivier, looks into his eyes.  
Then he scores.

“For me, it is.”


	37. Thirty-sixth chapter … where Olivier sleeps

**Thirty-sixth chapter  
… where Olivier sleeps**

Actually, Antoine wanted to keep some distance to Olivier. It went quite well the last few days – they talked a minimum.  
But then, Olivier knocked on his door, wanting to game with him a bit.

Why should he have declined? This would have been totally over the top. He'd have gamed with every other player as well and just because Olivier cheated he's no bad colleague. Like he said: It's his funeral and he won't treat him different from the other players.  
This also means he won't treat him special anymore.

Yes, basically it was the right decision letting Olivier enter his room. It even caused some normality because Olivier withdrew to Antoine's bed after two losses at the racing game to listen to Antoine's music again. It's actually not what every player is allowed to do but it just fit. Like back in France, he felt good with Olivier behind him, in his bed.  
Another step toward normality, kind of.

As he looked behind him after a while – he was pretty occupied by the game started to play after Olivier gave up – he saw a reason why it actually wasn't the right decision, maybe. Olivier fell asleep.  
Simply ignore him, that's his motto. Instead of thinking about what to do with a sleeping Olivier in his bed, he continues playing. There are enough opponents left he has to beat.

Just Benz reminds him of his problem. He enters the room – seems like he wore himself out playing cards – and Antoine's bed warming pan catches his attention.

“Ah, he finally lives with us. Good to know there is no curfew tonight.”

After the 3:0 world cup opening against Honduras, Deschamps was generous. They enjoy the privilege of fools right now – Deschamps only asked them to be responsible. Well, that translates to 'go to bed at a normal time' but Olivier won't be in trouble when he's not in his own bed.  
This cements his spontaneous decision. He doesn't have the heart to wake Olivier up. So they'll share his bed. Well, it's big enough.

“He's going to stay here for now.”

Briefly, Benz raises his eyebrow, then he's back to 'Your call'.

“You should also go to bed sometime soon.”

Antoine looks at the clock on the wall. Benz is right. It's late enough. And now that he paused his game, he also feels tired.  
So he just gets ready and then slips in his bed, to Olivier, who continues sleeping even though Antoine bumps into him. The bed may be big enough for two men but then there's no space left.  
The effort makes itself felt quickly. Antoine falls asleep soon.

As he wakes up sometime in the middle of the night, the other half of his bed is empty and his personal bed warming pan disappeared.  
Antoine is wide awake as once. The dull feeling in his stomach is back, he feels betrayed again. It's like after a quickie – except they didn't even have sex.  
He recognizes certain parallels. Parallels to the day where he felt betrayed even though they didn't even have a relationship.

Then he sees something which stops the dull feeling for now. On the nightstand, there is something white and Antoine is sure it wasn't there when he went to bed. It looks like a slip of paper.  
He fumbles out his phone from under his pillow. It's placed there for the same reasons why he doesn't turn the lights on – he doesn't want to wake up Benz. Using the faint light of his display, he examines the slip – it actually is a slip of paper – closely.

_Would have liked to stay with you but you should be comfortable in your bed. It was a bit cramped for two – I don't want you to be totally cramped tomorrow because you had a fat forward in your bed._

_Olivier_

The dull feeling disappeared. Olivier didn't turn his back on him like after a quickie. Everything is okay – now he can continue concentrating on them being just regular colleagues.  
Nevertheless, he stares at the O from Olivier for a while. It actually looks like a heart.


	38. Thirty-seventh chapter … where Hugo is a rock

**Thirty-seventh chapter  
… where Hugo is a rock**

Most of the time, Antoine is able to keep his distance to Olivier. But his presence is simply pleasant and he still gets along with him very well if he doesn't think about it. Just enjoying it, without further thought.  
That's why he leans on the gym's wall with him. He feels like a student who takes a pull on a cigarette stealthily but the only corresponding thing is the place.

They tell each other every kind of story. Just like some time ago, before Antoine limited their contact. It's all really harmless and only because of that he accepts it. As long as he sees Olivier as a friend, everything is fine.

“Then he took a look under his bed and – bingo, Mat was there.”

The smaller of the small Mathieus seems to go completely crazy after good games. He was accordingly terrible after their five goals against Switzerland. There are barely player who are safe from him – Antoine and Olivier belong to the exceptions. Mat wouldn't lay a finger on Hugo, he's absolutely taboo for him. Thus, Olivier as his roommate is safe. It's the other way round with Antoine: Mat's favorite victim is Benz and when he plots something against Benz, he can't take Antoine into consideration anymore.  
That's why Antoine knows a lot of stories concerning Mathieu. The last time, he was under the bed and cut the cables of Benz' headphones from there. It was a masterly performance that he did it exactly when Benz had his eyes closed but he didn't had an escape route in mind. As Benz woke up and Antoine assured him he's innocent, he took a look under the bed.  
If there's someone like Mat on your team you believe in the other players' innocence without hesitation.

Olivier laughs. And all his thoughts don't stop him – Antoine likes his laughter.

“Sometimes, I actually pity Benz.”

Yes, sometimes. But then Benz pushes Mat's head down the toilet bowl and they are square. Mat accepts it without hard feelings, Hugo is rather annoyed when Mat returns with dripping hair again. He actually isn't furious with Benz then – he knows exactly that Mat deserved it so he's rather annoyed because Mat snookered in something like that again.

“I support Benz occasionally.”  
“Oh, you noble knight...”  
“You should all kneel before me.”

Of course, Olivier obeys at once. He simply has no inhibitions to outperform Antoine's nonsense. So he kneels down before him and takes his hand.  
And that's where the mood swings. They forgot the jokes, Olivier's grin disappears.

He can't run away now. It would be the best thing but Olivier kneels directly before him and nothing happened and he doesn't want to cause a drama and – Olivier's lips touch his hand. They blow a kiss on the back on his hand, really gently, another one, another one... They wander further, planting some small kisses on Antoine's index finger. Then it's the turn for his finger tips. One after another receives a kiss.

Antoine breathes heavily, he sags against the wall. Each millimeter Olivier touches tingles, also his belly.  
Olivier gets up but he doesn't let go of his hand. As soon as he stands, he leads it back to his mouth.

He has to stop him. But he doesn't want to. Not yet. Just enjoy it a little bit more...  
This time, Olivier starts at his fingertips and kisses his way slowly up from there. Over the back of his hand, over his wrist – he turns around his arm, plants his lips on his veins -, over the inside of his arm, further up. Really slowly, really carefully.

At the crook of his arm, he pauses. He lets go of his wrist, his fingers slide down and entangle with Antoine's fingers. He places his other hand at his cheek.  
It's like someone turned down the volume of his thoughts. His doubts are nothing more than a faint, barely understandable whisper. Olivier is to the fore. His touches, his kisses...

That's why Antoine doesn't struggle as Olivier leans forward and places his lips on Antoine's. Au contraire. His hand springs forward, he grabs Olivier's hip.  
He mustn't stop. Please.  
He doesn't stop. As soon as Olivier senses that Antoine approves of what he's doing, his caution disappears. His tongue invades Antoine's mouth, he snuggles up against him.

It feels good kissing Olivier. So relaxing and exciting at the same time. Antoine feels his heart beating faster but at the same time he feels like he's floating. No doubts, no thoughts, simply this condition, this flow.

“Olivier!”

And then there's a rock in the flow, virtually. Hugo, if he classified the voice correctly. Hugo is interrupting the flow.  
Olivier pulls away from him but his hands stay where they are.

“Yes?”  
“Did you see Grizi?”

Olivier looks at him, his eyes are wide open. Then he pulls him closer toward him just as if he didn't want to let him go.

“No!”

Antoine freezes. Olivier really doesn't want to let him go. At least he wants him to be with him. Hugo threatens to interrupt their togetherness and Olivier doesn't want to allow it.

“Mh... Well, I'll find him tomorrow at breakfast at the latest.”  
“Exactly.”

On the one hand, it's quite good that Hugo was that far away. On the other hand that means they don't hear his steps. They can't tell if he's leaving.  
Olivier doesn't care, seemingly. He rakes through Antoine's hair, his voice is hoarse and breathless.

“I want you, Antoine.”

Antoine knows for sure he really should cut now. It isn't palsy-walsy anymore by now, it's no regular interaction between colleagues. He doesn't want Olivier to bed him.

“Benz isn't there.”

Yes. He actually wants it. Sure, until shortly before, he didn't. But he trusts himself to take it as it is – nothing obliging. Simply enjoying...

“Then let's go to your room.”


	39. Thirty-eighth chapter … where un magichien appears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, we'll finally meet the 'magichien :D Small note: „Comment appel t-on un chien magique?“ means "how do you call a magic dog" , „Un magichien!“ means "a magidog" - it's a French pun :D

**Thirty-eighth chapter  
… where un magichien appears**

Antoine is really glad they don't meet anyone as they're walking through the hallway. What should they have said if someone asked them what they're doing? He doesn't need no interruptions now, especially no unpleasant ones.  
His room is actually empty, just like he promised. Benz planned to beat everyone at the team internal pankration – gaming, ping pong and so on. It takes some time until he's done, Antoine knows from experience. He tried that the last few days, too, and only arrived at their room at curfew.  
Enough time for him and Olivier.

Apropos Olivier: As soon as he saw they're really on their own, he pulls Antoine toward him, kissing him another time. Now he's way more perky – they don't have to bottle up anymore now.  
Olivier still kisses great. Even in Brazil, even though the kiss isn't that gentle and careful anymore. Antoine feels like Olivier wants to explore each millimeter of his mouth cavity.  
Well, he won't stop him. Absolutely not.

Antoine wraps his arms around Olivier, his hands pet his back. He likes that, he likes it so much. Olivier's muscular back... He'd love to never let go again.  
He does it nevertheless. However only for putting one hand on Olivier's butt.

Olivier gasps as he pulls him closer to himself a bit like that. And... Antoine feels his penis. There's something going on in his pants. Olivier is aroused because of him.  
The kiss gathers pace, Olivier edges further on him. His hand rakes through Antoine's hair and as Antoine starts kneading his butt, he shortly pulls his hair.

Then he takes a step back. Breathless, his mouth is open, his hair falling over his forehead.  
By now, at the latest, he's fatally attracted to Olivier once and for all. Olivier is attractive just like that but him liking what they're doing that much is adding a certain bonus.

“Do you have something here?”

Antoine nods in silence. Luckily he has an emergency equipment with him – because of idleness, he didn't plan anything.  
He didn't expect coming Olivier that close.  
Briefly, he clears his throat. He doesn't trust his voice yet.

“Bathroom. Bag.”

Olivier also nods slightly. But before he walks over to the bathroom, he grabs Antoine's hair again to pull him closer for another kiss. His tongue just dips in his mouth shortly.  
Then he really disappears. And as soon as the bathroom door closes behind him, Antoine's arousal ceases.  
A one-night stand. This doesn't mean anything. They fuck, over. No commitments, for none of them. Tomorrow, they are going to be friends and colleagues again.

Antoine walks over to the door. For some seconds he considers simply disappearing but his base motives are stronger at last. It would be better, probably, but he just can't quit.  
Instead, he locks the door. Benz has a key, too, only the lock keeps him from mistiming his return.

What now?  
Antoine returns to his bed. He should undress himself. Saving time and so on. Doesn't seem to be part of a quickie, undressing each other.  
It feels strange, just like everything concerning this one-night stand. Nevertheless, Antoine undresses completely and sits down naked on his bed afterward.

Just in time. The bathroom door opens again and Olivier exits with a tube.

“Found it!”

Then he faces Antoine. He raises his eyebrows – seemingly he didn't expect what he's seeing. But he adapts quickly.

“Okay...”

His steps lead him to Antoine's bed where he places the tube.  
Afterward, he also undresses. No big deal, just like Antoine thought. T-shirt off, trousers off, pants off.  
Antoine breathes in sharply.

Olivier is pretty well-provided. Sure, he already saw that in the shower and the changing rooms. But now, it's different. It seems more threatening.  
He tries not to look, nevertheless he has a dull feeling in his stomach.

After Olivier took off his shoes, he takes the final step toward him. Antoine slips back so he can sit down with him.  
Now he has to look. Shit... Hopefully that's all – hopefully Olivier is already that aroused that his penis won't grow much more.

Olivier's fingers touch his chin, he pushes his head up so they can look in each other's eyes. His look is... not as passionate as before. It's rather affectionate. Like he worried about him.  
The dull feeling in his stomach grows.

Then Olivier lowers his head, his lips meet Antoine's.  
Even the kiss tastes stale. The feelings from before all disappeared – the excitement, the fire, the arousal. It's a forced kiss.  
Olivier seems to recognize that, too. He ends the kiss, puts his arms around him and pulls him closer. They stay like that for a while.  
Until Olivier puts his mouth to Antoine's ear.

“Antoine?”

He whispers as if he was scared of finally ruining the mood by talking louder.

“Mh?”

Please, no questions. He couldn't stand that now. He doesn't want to discuss with Olivier why he feels so uncomfortable since he's aware of this being a one-night stand.  
But Olivier's question is something else.

“Comment appel t-on un chien magique?”

Antoine is overchallenged. A magic dog... What does Olivier want to tell him?  
Before he can ask, Olivier already gives him the answer. He moves away a bit from him so he can look at him, then he answers his own question.

“Un magichien!”

Oh. A Joke. A really bad joke.  
Nevertheless, Antoine can't hold himself from laughing. Because he's sitting on this bed with Olivier, both naked, because he wants to sleep with him and somehow he doesn't and because Olivier can't think of something better than this stupid joke in this situation.

“Oli, you...”

He doesn't specify. Instead, he stretches to kiss Olivier. Without hesitation, he slides his tongue into Olivier's mouth, he enjoys his surprised gasp.  
This kiss exceeds the last one by far. Now it doesn't feel that bad, that wrong anymore.

It's quite simple. The guy he's kissing is no random quickie guy. It's Olivier, the man who's not only attractive but also funny, likable, sometimes too ridiculous, sometimes too loud..  
It's no problem for him sleeping with the overall package Olivier.


	40. Thirty-ninth chapter … where a different jersey exchange takes place

**Thirty-ninth chapter  
… where a different jersey exchange takes place**

There's a knock. Mh, he doesn't care. Antoine doesn't want to wake up. Well, at least he doesn't want to fully wake up.  
He slips closer to Olivier. Okay, he can go on sleeping now. It's pretty warm here.

The knock repeats.

“Mhhh...”

Simply ignore it. He can't actually get up – Olivier is lying on his arm. So he closes his eyes and -

“Grizi! Let me in! Otherwise the coach will come over! Hurry!”

At a stroke, Antoine is wide awake. Those were some quite important news.  
First: Benz is in front of the door.  
Second: Benz is supposed to be in the room.  
Third: He isn't.

Ah yes, he locked the door before to keep Benz out. It worked well.  
Now it isn't possible anymore though, plus he isn't keen on having the coach in his room in a few minutes, giving him hell because he locked out his teammate.  
He sits up – he has to pull out his arm from under Olivier but that doesn't disturb him – and lets his eyes wander around the room. He can't open the door like that. First, he has to get dressed.

Next to the bed, there are their clothes. Where are his pants?  
He can't find them. Instead he takes Olivier's black pants. It's sufficient for now, he has to hurry.  
So he gets out of the bed, shuffling on the pants. Then he darts toward the door and opens it.

“Were you already asleep?”  
“Yes...”

He actually was. There's no need to explain to Benz he was busy doing something else before. He sees it by himself as he enters the room.  
In Antoine's bed, Olivier is getting up. Antoine somehow likes the view – Olivier naked, his hair completely messy, the eyes still really small and sleepy. Benz surely doesn't take it that way. His expression tells he's surprised.

“Hello, Benz.”  
“Hello... Olivier?”

Benz' eyes dart between the both of them, then he comes to a conclusion.

“Okay, I'll head over to the bathroom, then you can say goodbye in peace. Olivier should also leave for his room – Deschamps seems to be checking the rooms today.”

Thus he disappears behind the bathroom door and Olivier gets out of bed. He casts a glance at the pile of clothes, then he looks at Antoine.

“You're wearing my underwear.”  
“I won't return it.”

Antoine doesn't know why he said that. Actually he didn't plan on keeping a souvenir.  
But Olivier shows his sense of humor. He grins, bows down and pulls Antoine's pants from the pile.

“I didn't want you to. But then, I'll get yours.”

Without waiting for a reaction, he slips into the orange Spongebob pants. Then his trousers, shoes, T-Shirt... It's like before when he undressed, nothing special, he just gets dressed. No games, no hit on.  
As he's done he walks over to Antoine who's still standing around in the middle of the room quite indecisively. Actually, he wanted to chuck Olivier out as soon as possible but he destroys his intentions. Instead of simply disappearing, he puts his arms around him, pulls him closer and kisses him.  
And Antoine simply has to enjoy the kiss.

Apparently, Benz waited for the sound of the closing door. As soon as Olivier left the room, he exits the bathroom.

“What was going on now?”

Antoine drops on his bed, pulling the thin blanket over himself. His bed smells like Olivier...

“Exactly what it was looking like.”

Before Benz also lays down, he opens the window. The fresh air floats into the room and Antoine realizes they really isolated themselves.

“It was a one-night stand. Nothing more. Olivier is hot, why should I take a pass on it?”

Benz' hum doesn't actually sound convinced. Absolutely understandable – Antoine himself knows it's nowhere near that simple.


	41. Fortieth chapter ... where Olivier heads off Antoine

**Fortieth chapter  
... where Olivier heads off Antoine**

Antoine manages to keep distance to Olivier for two whole days. Then Olivier heads him off on his way to his room.

“Antoine, what's going on?”

That's exactly what's going on. Since they had sex, Olivier calls him Antoine, no longer Grizi. Basically, he does not mind - somehow he likes it when Olivier says 'Antoine'. But it is just as inappropriate as too much proximity. This was an exception, now it goes on normally.  
That's why he keeps distance.

"Nothing."  
"But you're avoiding me."  
"No! Just because we do not stick together..."

It would be much easier if he did not have a certain influence on Olivier. When he spoke to him, he was still relatively happy, but now, after just a few words, he is irritated.

"This is called 'avoiding'!"  
"No! There's something in between. We do not have to marry just because we..."

If Olivier had visited him in his room, he would have said that. Well, if Olivier had tried to talk to him about it privately he'd had fled. This conversation is only possible in public.

"Why do you have to treat me differently? Why..."

Olivier puts his hand on Antoine's hip. And that's a mistake.

"Because that was a one-time thing! I'm sorry, but I can't go back to Normal mode immediately!"  
"Who's talking about it? Why don't we just continue? Why are you trying to switch back?"

Because he can't. Because 'just continue' would mean that he would get involved with Olivier. But that is dangerous, way too dangerous.  
This can only go wrong.

"I can't, Olivier!"

Olivier, no more Oli. Although - because - he is one of the few who say that and Olivier told him that he likes that.  
What does he expect? He can't tell the truth. Thus he surrenders himself to him.

"Why?"  
"Because you're not interested in something serious."

He took the wind out of Olivier's sails. He stares at him completely bewildered, no longer knows what to say.  
When he answers, his voice sounds cool, his face resembling a mask. You can no longer recognize emotions.

"Oh, well. You can't because you perceive me completely wrong and don't want to change your mind."

With these words, Olivier ditches Antoine.  
He has achieved what he wanted. Olivier now knows that the thing between them is forgotten. Still, he feels a stab in his heart.

This is now a heart-versus-mind situation. According to his mind, he did everything right, but his heart aches. He likes Olivier, he likes him a lot. Olivier's suggestion would have been much better. But his mind is right: Olivier hasn't even shown interest in letting them get more serious. He was only fine to him because he had hoped for something loose, non-committal with him.


	42. Forty-first chapter  ... where the impossible happens

**Forty-first chapter  
... where the impossible happens**

"Damn!"

Antoine doesn't let himself being distracted by Benz. He scores his goal only before he pauses his game and turns to him.

"What's happening?"  
"Come over."

Benz keeps the room door open. So Antoine gets up and walks over to him. He just has to walk a few steps to hear the screams. Someone argues, quite clearly.  
One of the two wranglers is Olivier. The lump in his neck which had disappeared during gambling returns. And the other one...

"Is that Hugo?"  
"Yes."

They've heard enough. They can't understand a lot anyway - Benz only wanted to show him that the two argue. Antoine understands why. If Benz just told him that Olivier and Hugo argue, he would never have taken it from him.  
Hugo, of all things...

"Do you know what's going on?"

If the lump in his neck wasn't there, he would simply answer 'No'. Somehow, it's the truth. The thing between him and Olivier does not necessarily explain why Hugo and Olivier have a dispute.  
But the lump is just there. That's why he feels the need to tell Benz what happened before.

"I told Olivier that we should keep a distance, because things can't happen between us."  
"Oh."

Benz slumps on his bed, next to him.

"I can imagine well that's what he's so crazy about."

Antoine does not know if he agrees with Benz. That would mean that he means a lot Olivier properly and that isn't the case. For Olivier, he is only a pleasure.

"And Hugo?"  
"Mhh ... He ruffled Hugo, so something really bad must have happened. Before, everything was all right, so I assume you that you shocked Olivier so hard that he had a lot on his mind that he vented to Hugo."

This sounds a little more logical. Nevertheless, the part that he is to blame is that Olivier is so extremely crabby is still unbelievable.

Furthermore, they can not deepen the topic. In the hallway they hear a voice.

"Fuck you, Giroud!"

This is Hugo. They're able to recognize his voice, even if the statement and the volume are very unusual. He's only that loud on the field when he wants to reach the players who are farthest from him. But then, he's a bit more peaceful.  
Then he bangs against their door.

Benz shrugs his shoulders before he goes over and opens it. But Hugo's visit is short-lived.

"Can you finally get it together, you and Olivier?"

And he's gone again.  
Antoine remains completely taken aback, Benz' look resting on him. He knows exactly what he thinks.

I told you.

He can't close the door, however. Already the next visitor comes in. It is Mat who seems to be out of breath. He is likely to chase after his angry friend. His statement also indicates this.

"Do not take it so seriously, he's just totally over it. But still, Olivier is just really crabby and apparently you are to blame, little Grizi."

Thus, they finally have their peace. Mat disappears, he runs behind Hugo. Benz closes the door and takes his seat next to him.

"Should I have a guilty conscience?"

Benz' answer comes immediately.

"No. You don't have to do anything that's not good for you, just because Olivier snaps. Besides, it seems quite strange to him that he doesn't get what he wants. It's good for him to get to know that feeling"

Calmed down, Antoine sinks backwards. Benz is right, what he said is much more rational than Hugo and Mat.  
Nevertheless the lump remains in his throat. It does not fail at him - it only fails due to Olivier's infidelity. If he had the chance of a monogamous relationship with Olivier, he would strike right away.  
That would not only be more comfortable for Hugo.


	43. Forty-second chapter … where un medichien appears

**Forty-second chapter  
… where _un medichien_ appears**

Since Antoine hardly has any contact with Olivier, he spends a lot of time with other team colleagues. Meaning he is sitting in the common room with them and hoping that they will do something funny.  
Today again. Until now, it is also quite funny - just stories from the players' children are exchanged. Antoine can't contribute but it is fun to listen.

Right now, is Bacary's turn.

"My daughter recently got a book with a lot of jokes. She likes it - she's always telling jokes."

Everyone 'ooooh's.  
Antoine is also involved. He wouldn't have expected that from Bacary's little one - she looked more like playing in the garden until the father carried her into the house, of course not without resistance. Well, that may be due to the fact that when she saw her, she just beat up her big brother. This is rather normal, bookworms do that, too, he thinks.

"Does she at least have a favorite joke?"  
"Naturally. It comes every day. Comment appel t-on un chien qui vend des medicaments?"

Oh. This is somehow familiar to him. Last time he didn't hear the question with a dog selling medicine, but with a magical dog. But the pattern is the same.  
He looks over at Olivier, who is sitting on the other side of the room. Their eyes meet.

"Un pharmachien!"

Again, there is the memory of how he heard a joke with a dog the last time. That was when he'd slept with Olivier.  
Olivier nods to the door, implying to go outside together. Antoine breathes deeply. Then he gets up.  
He misses Olivier. Also what happened in his bed. Bacary's joke has hit a nerve at him.

Actually he would not have yielded after his decision to keep distance to Olivier. Usually, he is quite consistent - if he decided something, he sticks to it. But that doesn't work with Olivier. He gave in when Olivier was looking for him, he gave in when Olivier wanted to have sex with him, and he will give in again. Olivier wants to talk to him and their relationship isn't that bad that he wants to deny him this conversation.  
Their relationship to one another is even quite good. They just have a little problem...


	44. Forty-third chapter … where Olivier and Antoine go swimming

**Forty-third chapter  
… where Olivier and Antoine go swimming**

Antoine goes outside. Without looking back, he runs up to one of the pools. Only then he turn around. Olivier comes up to him.  
He would gladly take him in his arms, kiss him... Unfortunately, it isn't that simple.

Immediately before him Olivier stops. He reaches out as if to touch him, but then he thinks differently.

"I miss you, Antoine."

Normally he would have said nothing. At the moment the rules are a bit different. He is just too sentimental.

"Miss you, too."

Olivier smiles slightly.

"It felt really good being with you. I could be with you the way I am. I had the impression that you like me despite my weaknesses."

That was the way it was. For him, Olivier was no longer the adorable beau, but a really lovable man with a lot of little quirks. It was an improvement - until Antoine heard from the biggest weakness.

"Actually, it doesn't matter to me that I like myself despite my weaknesses. Otherwise I wouldn't be here today. These weaknesses were only important because I worked on them and did not let them get me down. I didn't need anyone who likes me as a person with mistakes. But then I met you and... it was really good. "

Shortly Olivier turns his eyes away. Was that too intimate for him?  
Seemingly. When he looks back at Antoine, he switches topic.

"Let's go swimming."

Admittedly, this is really tempting. The situation is so tense, just a few yards away - they have moved away from the pool, so have retreated into the dark - the water shimmers. It's warm here, as always.

"We have nothing with us."

No argument that convinces Olivier. He pulls his shirt over his head.

"I've seen every part of you. And there's no one else here."

Yes, he is right. But could he stop to remember him of their romp all the time? He already started when he undressed, this sentence finally reminds him of it.  
Antoine is also getting undressed now. They simply let the clothes fall where they are standing – they're having a speed competition.  
Olivier wins. While Antoine still struggles his pants off his legs, he runs to the pool and jumps into it. Antoine follows him only a few seconds later.


End file.
